1 Star
1 Star, Extremely Disappointing Grand Opening Experience
I visited the Oakberry grand opening at Masonville Mall, and it was one of the most disappointing smoothie/protein shake experiences I've had.
First, prices were shockingly high. I paid CA$17 for a 16 oz Double Whey Protein shake, and my parent's16 oz smoothie was almost CA$13. For these prices, customers should expect polished operation and excellent service. Instead, felt like business was completely unprepared for opening day.
There were so many staff members working behind such a small counter, yet customers were still waiting a very long time just to receive a single drink. Many people around me were already frustrated with how slow the service was.
What surprised me the most was that it appeared the staff were being trained during the grand opening. I noticed two managers: one Middle Eastern gentleman (with his wife) and another white female manager working in back. The female manager appeared to be teaching employees how to make the drinks on opening day. Employees were even looking at the menu and recipes while preparing orders because they didn't yet know how to make the products. Staff training should happen before opening day, not while paying customers are standing in line.
My mom's smoothie was also made incorrectly. They first poured the açaí on top and the mango on the bottom, even though the menu photo clearly showed the açaí on the bottom. Once they realized the mistake, instead of properly remaking the drink, they simply grabbed another cup and poured everything again in the opposite order. It looked unprofessional and desperate rather than correcting the mistake properly.
Another issue was the straw. They gave us a small straw, which is completely unsuitable for thick frozen smoothies. It was extremely difficult to drink. When I mentioned this to one of the managers, he told me they didn't have the proper straws in stock. That honestly made me wonder: How do you hold a grand opening without having the proper supplies available?
My Double Whey Protein shake was also poorly assembled. It had:
Frozen smoothie at the bottom,
A layer of raw whey protein powder in the middle,
Another layer of frozen smoothie on top of the powder,
Then a layer of açaí on the very top.
How is anyone supposed to mix that properly? The protein powder was trapped between two frozen layers, making it extremely difficult to stir and leaving chunks of dry powder. A much better approach would have been to add the protein gradually between smoother layers or blend it properly so customers don't have to struggle mixing an expensive drink themselves.
I also witnessed something that genuinely concerned me. The female manager instructed an employee to bring a ladder, climb up to the açaí machine, mix the contents manually. The employee appeared using bare hands instead of gloves while doing this; raises serious hygiene food safety concerns.
When the Middle Eastern manager later asked me how my drink was, I simply replied, "Alright," because I didn't want to embarrass anyone publicly. However, I later took him aside privately and told him that this level of preparation and service was unacceptable. I also told him if he wasn't the only manager, then he needed to make sure the other manager was on the same page because this is not how you operate a business, especially on opening.
I actually recorded videos of several of these issues because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. If videos posted on social media TikTok, they would likely receive thousands of views and bring significant negative attention to the business. However, instead of doing that immediately, I'm choosing to give them another chance by providing honest feedback here. I hope management improves their training, organization, hygiene practices, overall customer experience so future customers can enjoy safe, properly prepared drinks.
The concept of Oakberry has potential, but based on my first visit, the execution was far below what anyone should expect especially considering the premium prices they charge.