Jeremy V. C.
Google
⭐ 1-Star Review: Pinecrest Bakery – South Beach Location
An Embarrassing and Unprofessional Experience
I’m a long-time local resident, and although I don’t buy cakes very often, the South Beach Pinecrest Bakery used to be a place I trusted when I needed something special. Unfortunately, my most recent visit was one of the most embarrassing, frustrating, and unprofessional experiences I’ve ever had in a bakery.
I came in to buy a cake for my boss, who is leaving, and right away I noticed something was off. The cakes I used to purchase are now noticeably smaller, yet the prices have increased. I had a simple, reasonable question:
Why are the cakes smaller now if the prices are going up?
When I approached the employee, she couldn’t answer — because she didn’t speak any English. Instead of offering help, calling a manager, or trying to communicate in any professional way, she pulled another customer from the store to translate my question from English to Spanish. Even with the customer’s help, she still couldn’t explain the change in cake size.
The entire situation was chaotic, uncomfortable, and honestly shocking. In a major business located in South Beach, one of the most international and tourist-heavy areas of Miami, it is unacceptable to have staff who cannot communicate in basic English — especially when dealing with customers.
It’s not just about the cake size. It’s about communication.
We all come from different countries — I did too. I learned English myself because I knew it was essential for life, work, and growth in the United States. If I can learn English, then employees working in a customer-facing role should also be able to communicate with customers at a basic level.
To be honest, I would have walked out without buying anything because the entire experience felt unprofessional and embarrassing. But I urgently needed a cake for my boss, so I had no choice but to purchase the cake and leave.
Even though I bought it, the experience left such a strong negative impression that I can confidently say:
I will never return to the South Beach Pinecrest Bakery again.
Shrinking product sizes, higher prices, complete lack of communication, and staff who are unprepared to serve customers — this is absolutely unacceptable for a business in this area. I am extremely disappointed as a long-time local customer.