My McCafe & McDonalds Experience

Cell group got canned tonight, due to events unfolding at the Ritchie residence. So instead of giving the babysitter the night off we decided to go out for a couple of hours, sans kids.

The trouble with only having a couple of hours is that we had to stay local – so we headed off to Manukau. We had dinner at LJS and had a lazy wander around the shops, before heading back to the car to do the obligatory trip to the big red shed.

After the joys of the Warehouse, we decided a coffee and cake, but because we couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of the mall, decided on McCafe.

We entered McDonalds and had a look at what was on display at the McCafe counter, Dione decided she liked the look of the cheesecake, but didn’t know so asked me to enquire as to what it was exactly. Of the two people working, one had his back to me, drying dishes and sharing a joke with his co-worker, who was sitting on the floor having some time out.

I leaned over the counter and got her eye, she seemed annoyed that I had found her, and that she now had to get up to serve me. But she took my order, gave me a number and told us to take a seat. The only problem now was that the seating and tables desperately needed cleaning, so I asked the McCafe dish drier if he could clean up the table that Dione was sat at, which he gladly did.

I now approached the McDonalds counter to order myself a BigMac Combo – not the best but I was hungry for savoury. The trouble with the new McDonalds is that you can now see how they make your burger. It’s not a pretty sight. The meat is kept in a warming draw, and slopped down on the burger - it’s all put together in two parts, and then the lid is closed, sandwiching the contents together – no wonder the burgers are always a mess when you open the box.

My BigMac was a special order, so I knew exactly which one it was – it had a special order receipt on it. It was sitting there ready to be picked up, and it was, but by the wrong person. She took a look at it, figured it wasn’t the burger that she needed and just tossed it back down. Meanwhile the girl who was serving me was nowhere to be seen. I was beginning to think Dione would have finished her Vienna Coffee and cheesecake before I even got to sit down, when the girl who was serving me came out from the back whipping her hands on a dodgy looking cloth. Noticing me still standing there she goes over to see if my burger is ready, looks at the screen to remind herself that I need some fries and a drink cup.

When I finally get my order, I go over to fill my cup, but there is no ice. I ask a passing McDonalds employee if they can get some, they agree to and disappear out the back.

I can see that my wife still hasn’t gotten her Coffee and Cheesecake, despite being the Cafe’s only customer, and decide it’s safe to wait for the ice. The only problem is the guy who’d gone to get the ice obviously had gotten lost, because he didn’t return.

I decided to have my coke at room temperature and forego the ice, and got to our table just in time to see my wife receiving a black coffee. We’d ordered a Vienna coffee, but they had no cream. We asked if they could at least find some milk, which they did.

So instead of a Vienna, Dione got a plain white coffee (and no refund) and a dodgy piece of Cheesecake. My burger was cold and messy; my coke was warm, and my appetite gone.

Next time we’ll certainly be bothered with the hassle of the mall, or just go home for a coffee.