MixStirs

I should’ve believed the one review but I was in the mood for an acai bowl so I figure I’d give this place a try. I ask for the acai bowl that’s clearly stated on the menu and the girl tells me she doesn’t know how to make it and that they don’t have the juices for it anyway. I tell her she can just make it without the juices and just put milk inside it for me and she walks away only to come back in a few seconds again saying she doesn’t know how to make it. WHY IS SOMEONE WORKING HERE IF THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO MAKE WHATS ON THE MENU??? I’ve never seen anything like it. Horrible.

The shakes are good — if you can get them. There used to be a gentleman their who was really fantastic, but I haven’t seen him for months. He was timely, quiet, but very nice and made everything perfectly. Now the staff are mostly kids, about late high school or college age. They two of their three staff members are unfriendly and give an attitude. It’s very clear that they don’t want to be there. The location itself tends to open anywhere from 30 — 45 minutes later than their posted hours on the weekends, and close up 30 — 45 minutes earlier than their posted hours. I’ve written a letter to their corporate e-​mail address before and was promised their customer service issues would be addressed. I noted that there doesn’t seem to be any accountability and I never see a manager there (I’m at this NYSC location about 5 days a week on average). Now I’ve noticed every few weeks there’s an older woman there checking on the register, but not overseeing the staff. The location opened and closed according to their hours for the first two weeks after my e-​mail, then they slid back into their old habits. It’s why I’ve taken to the internet.
Recently I witnessed something that prompts be to question their sanitation: A staff member cutting open the plastic container of peanut butter with a knife instead of opening the lid. Imagine a 2-​lb tub of peanut butter and cutting it open through the middle with a knife. Imagine where the tub has been between shipping and storage. Now the blade of the knife is cutting through that and smearing through the peanut butter. The peanut butter is not being cooked — it’s being put raw into your protein shake.
I used to plan my workouts and meals with a protein shake from this location incorporated into it. The $ 5 per shake, 3 days a week adds up, but it was previously worth the convenience of having a shake freshly made immediately following my AM fasted cardio, or right after late-​night gym sessions. Since they’ve taken on younger staff who show up and close-​up at will, it is no longer a convenience, and I now have to come up with alternatives. This is disappointing, because the concept of having the café right in the NYSC was a good one. It’s too bad they can’t manage it properly.