2 /5 Magaly: My boyfriend and I arrived at Atlas Chicken Shack in Geneva this past Saturday (Nov 15) at 8:15 PM. We looked up the closing time of 8:30 PM. To our surprise, one employee was working alone. When they came to the window, we noticed a backpack on as if he was ready to leave. Now we can understand wanting to get out of your shift on a Saturday night, but both of us having experience in the service industry know you still have to provide good service till closing time.
I ordered a cheeseburger with no sauce and a Sprite, and my boyfriend ordered a chicken sandwich with an Arnold Palmer. We originally wanted mac and cheese, but it wasn’t available, so we chose the fried rice balls instead. We can understand some items that have a certain amount of prep or limited amounts and may not be available, so we worked with the options.
We waited for our food, which was fine. We were happy and appreciative that the food was being prepared fresh which is a testament to Atlas Chicken.
My boyfriend’s chicken sandwich and fried rice balls were good and you could tell had been freshly fried.
The issue was with the other half of the order. When he handed us the order, my Sprite was missing. He told me I didn’t order one… even though I clearly did. He charged us for the sprite and that was resolved no problem.
The bigger problem came when I checked my food. I opened my “cheeseburger” and the meat was undercooked, still visibly red and there was no cheese. We immediately tried to get the employee’s attention through the window, but he had already shut the lights off and was preparing to walk out.
When my boyfriend explained the issue, the employee insisted that I didn’t order a cheeseburger, even though it’s the standard item listed on the menu. At no time was there a confirmation of the order from the employee. Therefore to assume, the order came across as unprofessional and lacking accountability. He then told us he had turned off the stove at 8:00 PM, a full 30 minutes before closing, which explains why the burger was undercooked, he admitted it took longer for him to heat everything back up. We can appreciate the honesty but if that’s the case then please verify that the burger is cooked through before giving it to your customer. We were willing to be patient for a properly cooked meal.
He asked if we wanted the burger remade or a refund. Since it was clear he was rushing to leave and had already been careless, we chose the refund.
Hence this part of the experience was very disappointing. If the restaurant closes at 8:30 PM, employees should still be taking accurate orders and preparing food properly until that time. This lack of professionalism and accountability is unacceptable.
