12/9/2023

It has certainly been a rough start to this new year. After having been in business and serving much of Mercer and Burlington community, 2023 has left us severely understaffed. Last evening, during an incredibly busy 2 hour window of take-out and delivery service, one of my staff members acted in a way that was not at all in line with our standards of conduct and hospitality. As a DoorDash Courier was waiting for a takeout order to be prepared and packed, a counter employee reacted to the stress of the moment poorly. While being questioned about the longer-than-average wait time, his heated response was objectionable and completely out of line. Despite the stress of having a busy dinner service, his reaction was indefensible. As owner, everything that happens in my business ultimately lands on my shoulders. Thought I was not present last evening, managers brought the situation to my attention, and the employee in question was reprimanded at once, and the matter has been handled internally. He has since attempted to make amends to the Dasher—who we recognize was only trying to do her job in a timely manner. Despite our best efforts serving our wonderful and supportive community—mistakes still happen. Last night, Palermo’s failed in our mission to pair our authentic and delicious food with exemplary customer service. I am deeply sorry for how this staff member has acted. In addition to his reprimand, he is prepared to make an apology directly to the Dasher, and had already reached out last evening to do just that. Palermo’s will also be reevaluating our policies of conduct with customers and couriers alike, and will be taking steps to change how we handle extended wait times during peak busy hours. Managing expectations and communication, along with improving our accuracy and customer service will be the central focus for our small family business in the new year. None of these actions by themselves are enough to justify or excuse Sunday evening. I sincerely hope that my heartfelt apology along with my promise that we will do and be better, will suffice for now. After over 30 years of dedicating my life to food and service and treating anyone who enters Palermo’s as family, my commitment to another 30 years of striving for increasing excellence is as strong as ever