As I have mentioned in my previous post I had to face some difficulties in the past few weeks regarding my Greek-week project. The problem is that this shop mistreated me. Maybe I was hurt because I was expecting more than I should have. I don't know. But I am going to tell you the truth anyway, and still I'll try to recall some information about the content of the shop.
So, let me tell you what happened! I visited the Greek delicatessen shop on József körút, right next to the stop of the 4-6 trams, called Rákóczi tér. I was very enthusiastic about it, because as far as I was informed, this is the most well-known Greek-food specialized food store in the center of the city. There are some others in the suburbs, but that takes an hour to reach, so I was really glad to be able to stay in the heart of Budapest. The first thing that occurred to me when I saw the shop from the outside was that it is part of the CBA store chain, which I thought was a bit strange, because originally CBA is a supermarket. But with no worries, I took a picture from the outside, then I went in to explore.
The first merchandise I saw they had was a really great variety of alcoholic beverages. There were many different types of southern wines and spirits, so firstly I was impressed. Then, on the left, I entered the store itself. For the first sight it was no different from a regular CBA supermarket. That did not change with the second and the third sight, so I started to get worried that maybe I am in the wrong place as I walked by the shelves filled with regular foods: chips, Hungarian spices, biscuits, chocolate etc. I have decided to ask a member of the staff where I can find the Greek products, because huge letters over the front door said that this is a "Greek Delicatessen".
I finally found a woman behind the counter and I kindly asked her where I can find the Greek goods. She pointed at two shelves which seemed to me very tiny and insignificant. Anyway, I stepped in front of the shelf to browse the offer. Then she approached me with a quite unfriendly face inquiring about what I want. I explained her that I write blog posts introducing the products delicatessen shops sell in Budapest. I also added that I would like to take some pictures if it is possible, and that I will display it on my blog to, in a sense, advertise their shop, so I intend to do no harm. After that, she said in a most unfriendly way that I cannot take any pictures without the consent of the shop manager. This did not anger me, as there is really such policy in many Hungarian shops, so I said, okay, then I would be happy to speak to him or her.
But here comes the part when I got furious. Before she left to find the manager, she pointed at two top corners of the room and explained that this facility is monitored by cameras, and if I dare to take unauthorized pictures while she is away, they can just throw me out and sue me if they want. And this is the point where I have to interrupt the storytelling. Here, I would like to send a message to all the shops I visited and to the ones I am yet to visit: I am not a criminal! I advertise the products, and I understand the rules under which I am obliged to work. I usually take pictures to provide visual support to the content of the shops, and here, after ten minutes of explaining what I do is good business for the shop; I was still seen as some kind of a thief. I simply found the mere accusation and situation humiliating and outrageous.
In addition to that, the woman returned and informed me that the manager is not in the shop at that time, and that I should return later. Although at this point I was so angry that I thought I would not return even if this was the only supermarket in town, I still tried to get some information out of her about the products: I asked about the specialties, the place where they ship from, and whether they sell fresh goods, as well. Hearing this, she started shouting at me that why don't I just look at the shelves and figure it out myself, as if everything was so self-explanatory.
No one before, in any previous delicatessen shop, has treated me like this. The behavior of the woman clearly indicated that she knew nothing about the content of the shop which told me that the staff was not well-trained. Apart from being unprofessional, she was very rude to me, too. So, I wasn't satisfied at all, and I don't know how a member of staff like her would deal with a foreign customer (to whom this blog is mostly written to) that needs additional explanation and help, if she behaves this way with a local like me.
Do not get me wrong, I don't tell you not to visit the shop! Because of its central position in town, it can still be kind of useful to know where it is. However, because of its unprofessional staff and (let's be honest again) poor offer compared to other special food stores that don't write "Delicatessen" above their door in giant letters, I won't necessarily recommend it, either.
Because I couldn't take pictures, I cannot show you how it looks like, so I'll just share the memory of what I have seen in the offer. I remember they have fresh olives and feta cheese, and as I said, an impressive collection of various alcoholic beverages. Also, on the shelves I have seen some canned goods, like grape leaves, more olives, some spices, and olive oil. I don't really remember anything more, but maybe it is because I got angry and that made me forget...
I found the products of this store too few to base an international food week on it for my blog, so when I do that, I'll visit the Greek deli a little bit further out of town. Maybe someday I will return here to see if anything has changed, because this store definitely has many things improve!
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