First visit to Douce France. Usually I go to other pastry/coffee shops in the area and I'll continue to go to other pastry shops in the area. My friend and I were the only ones there on a weekday afternoon.
GOOD THINGS: Lots of variety of interesting pastries not readily available elsewhere. clean. washrooms above average compared to nearby ones). chocolates we had were good.
NOT SO GOOD:
It's not clear what kind of shop this is when you enter! Can you get coffee here? Is this a chocolatier? Is this a coffee shop?
It felt hard to have a conversation as felt we were in someone's kitchen. Not a relaxing coffee date. A bit pricey in this store. (you pay for the pretentiousness of the place and you'll be made to feel it's worth it). No cakes and normal pastries. Mostly cookies. Menu not clear. Five page menu but can't figure it out.
They push the French aspect a little too much. Overdone, I'm sorry. It's quite pretentious actually. Perhaps because only the two of us. This is Toronto, we like a bit more toned down!! Some will like this, I'm sure. We didn't. I can tell many others i met that the same story gets told over and over to visits which is the following:
Same script for every customer ("bonjour" upon entering the store, and "bonjour" again if you don't answer anything back, "drink our hot chocolate which they wait in line 1 hours in Paris"). Pushy to buy products. "This is a prestigious store". If you don't hear the word prestigious at least once when you are in here, I'd be shocked.
They'll tell you this is just as good as in Paris and that is just as good as in Paris and so on and so on. They'll tell you the music you are listening too is French. Too scripted and forced for my own liking.
It's OK store, but they need to really get down to what people in this area want! Great opportunity to be successful because they offer a different product. It has alot of potential and I'll be back in the summer to try again. I think it would be helpful to really get the store brand clear.
Potential is there. need to get to the heart of the customers. Tone down the "prestige" !!!