A Stockport restaurant's response to a one-star review has garnered widespread support after the owner spoke out about a customer's critique that was 'edited and reposted' six months after their visit.
The Mekong Cat Responds to Negative Feedback
The Mekong Cat, an Asian restaurant on Lower Hillgate in Stockport, took to Facebook to address a one-star Google Review. The restaurant noted that it typically ignores negative reviews, boasting a '4.8 rating on Google.' However, after the review was edited and reposted, The Mekong Cat decided to 'publicly shame' the reviewer.
Customer Complaints Detailed
In the original Google review, the customer complained about the restaurant being too cold, stating they couldn't 'take their coat off.' They also criticized that 'mains came out at different times' and deemed paying £2.50 for a can of Diet Coke as 'disgusting.'
Restaurant Breaks Down Costs
The Mekong Cat, which serves Southeast Asian cuisine inspired by countries along the Mekong River, responded by explaining its food costs. In a Facebook post on June 6, the venue wrote: 'The average plate at our establishment is about £11-12 for homemade noodles and broths that take hours to make. Our portions are generous, and our profit margins are low.'
They added: 'We are able to do this because we're always busy, perform at a high volume, and even though Stockport thinks it's bougie, we are still located around a food pantry, and the economy is tough, so we keep prices low so the people of this town can enjoy food from a faraway place.'
Breakdown of Drink Costs
The restaurant then detailed the costs behind serving a can of Coke: 'We do make our profits on our drinks, and £2.50 for a can of Coke is a lot more than the 24-pack you get at Aldi. However, we hire staff to serve you that can, a pot washer to wash it, and pay electricity for storage. So I apologise that we are trying to profit about 50p from that can of Coke.'
Explanation of Service Style
The Mekong Cat explained that due to the nature of its food, dishes come out when ready: 'We don't have a heat lamp to keep things warm. Noodles get sticky and soggy when they sit around. In Asian cuisine, food is served when it's ready; we are not a pub serving Sunday roast.'
Regarding the temperature, they added: 'If we turn the heat up any higher, we’re going to significantly increase our prices, so yeah, keep your coat on.'
Public Reaction
The post received over 800 likes and 231 comments, mostly supportive. One user wrote: 'What a fantastic negative review because now I know where you are, I’m gonna come and try your food!! And when I’m eating out, I don’t object paying £2.50 for a coke because every business needs to make a profit.'
Another added: 'This is a great response to a negative review and probably explains a lot to people who don’t understand how Asian food works.' However, one person felt the response was 'unprofessional,' which might 'put them off more than one bad review.'
Follow-Up Statement
The Mekong Cat posted a follow-up comment: 'This review was posted months ago during winter, it got edited to be reposted which brings it to the very top. That is very vindictive and damaging to a small business like ours. Should we be more professional? Write some generic apology? Sure. However, if we want customers to have free speech to rate and criticise any business publicly, the business has the right to respond. If those who choose not to come because they think we're rude, this only opens up more seatings to a fully booked place. We are not arrogant; we are trying to do something good and different in Stockport. This is a small business and people unhappy with the most minor thing leave a 1 Star instead of telling the owners or staff. We have happily compensated every meal when people are not happy. Anyone who has dined with us knows this. We have never raised our prices since opening, we keep things affordable, so to call us Disgusting just baffles me.'
The Mekong Cat is not alone in dealing with one-star reviews. Last year, the Riverbank coffee shops and cafe on the River Mersey between Urmston and Sale caused a stir when its owners called out a reviewer.
