We love food... so let's talk about RichTree. In Boston, it was Movenpick Marche or the smaller version Marchelino. Name change? Owner change? Didn't want to pay the franchise fee anymore since they now have a base of customers? Sometimes what we read in the news may not always be the case in reality but that's not what this review is for; the review is about the restaurant quality, service, food, ambiance, and foo foo factor. We checked four Richtree's in the city. The RichTree on Yonge Street (BCE Heritage Square), York Mills Bayview, Richtree Express (should I call this RichTreelino?) on College Park and at Eaton Center. Does having the same company with different versions (in this case, Richtree would have around 10 stations of yummy goodies while an Express would have 6 stations of semi-ok meals) almost always seems to have inconsistent service to you? (Notice the difference between your local McDonald's Express at a strip mall and the regular McDonald's - ok bad analogy).
Let's break this down...
First stop - RichTree Express - Eaton Center
Service is horrible. The food is either not warm enough or will tend to be on the oily side. The pastries are a saving grace but the customer agent could use a bit of training in smiling and acknowledging our presence. Price does not match with expected service - if you're one of those who expect more from a restaurant when you have to pay more.
About $15-20 per person.
Layout: Various Stations for pasta, chicken, soups, asian mixes, beverages, etc.
If I'm on a wheelchair, I will not be able to get through this place.
Location: 220 Yonge St. Toronto, ON M5B 2H6
Telephone: 416-351-8783
Hours: Mon - Fri - 6:30am to 9:00pm | Sat - 8:00am to 7:00pm | Sun - 8:00am to 6:00pm
Next stop, RichTree Express - College Park
Service is a bit better but food looks like its been lonely and sitting there waiting for a client. A couple of weeks after it opened, there were more people checking it out and the food was a bit less looking like it was made yesterday although you know it was made early this morning for a lunch time crowd. It seems that a bit of training on food load balancing would have assisted in the presentation and selection here.
About $15-20 per person.
Layout: Various Stations for pasta, chicken, soups, asian mixes, beverages, etc.
If I'm on a wheelchair, I will still have a bit of a hard time navigating this joint.
Location: 444 Yonge Street, Unit M9 Toronto, ON M5B 2H4
Telephone: 416-849-9241
Hours: Mon - Fri - 6:30am to 7:00pm | Sat - 8:00am to 6:00pm | Sun - Closed
Loafing a bit during lunchtime, we drove past a RichTree in York Mills. Layout is better and wheelchair accessible. Nicer customer service agents. More selections than the Richtree Express and it looks fresher. More people though there were enough empty seats to find a good spot next to the grill station where yummy steaks were being cooked for us.
Plus side: Parking area
Location: 305 York Mills, Unit 19 North York, ON M2L 1L3
Telephone: 416-445-1555
Hours: OPEN LATE
Mon - Thurs - 7:00am to 10:00pm | Fri - 7:00am to 12:00am | Sat - 8:00am to 12:00am | Sun - 8:00am to 10:00pm
Driving to the Roger's Center, we see RichTree (another one?!) but this one is housed in the historic BCE Place | Heritage Square. [This is also the home of the Hockey Museum so visitors can have a bite along with their museum experience. They also have Roots and a Magazine store so you can just make a day out of your trip].
This version of RichTree is the closest to Movenpick Berlin Europe Center in meal quality and similar to its inconsistent service. In Berlin, you'd wait for 45 minutes for your first course to arrive. We thought that since there is no sit down opportunity at this RichTree, the wait is dependent on lines of each station. But we found out otherwise. Had an issue with Shannon, one of their managers, who decided to cut a line of customers waiting for their turn to get a pizza. When I asked if this was the norm, she just looked at me puzzled at why I asked such a stupid question, did not respond, and turned to the pizza gal saying she needed 7 orders and started mouthing the requirements of each wheel. Apparently you can book a space here and get waitstaff service. The experience translated into our lowering what we initially thought as a "world class rating" to "lessen something" and that "something" is my annoyance for managers cutting without apologizing or saying anything to the customer even after they were directly confronted. I complained to RichTree HQ and to appease me paid for my meal. Not a world class response to a customer complaint I think. The appropriate response woudl have been two steps - thank the customer for their complaint and appease them with the meal reimbursement AND actually change the process. We visited this place three more times after that experience and the same person, Shannon, continued to do the same thing. Not to us, thank goodness, but unfortunately to other customers. This happened at the juice station, the coffee station and the mussel chucking station. What is going on there? The training manager need to retrain this manager, in our opinion.
This space has the larger layout than the other three we've visited and has the most selection. The fact that its open late and you can find parking on the streets next to it at night is a plus.
We've will continue to visit this restaurant but will dodge Shannon as much as possible.
They do have a current issue: Men's restroom needs to be quickly fixed. Sharing with the women's bathroom means longer lines and some interesting looks from women who come in to restrooms where men forget to lift the seat thus creating unnecessary WC drama.
Location: 42 Yonge St.Toronto, ON M5E 1T1
Telephone: 416-366-8986
Hours: OPEN LATE and OPEN EVERY DAY of the year
Mon - Thurs - 7:30am to 12:00am | Fri & Sat - 7:30am to 2:00am | Sun - 7:30am to 12:00am
