SINGAPORE: Some Toast Box patrons have raised concerns over what they describe as a glaring mismatch between the chain’s promotional images and the actual food served at outlets across Singapore, with some accusing the popular local café brand of “daylight robbery”.
A customer named Steve told citizen journalism portal Stomp that he visited the Toast Box outlet at IMM on April 27. He ordered a S$7.10 set meal consisting of a hae bee hiam soft bun, two soft-boiled eggs, and a cup of coffee—a typical offering aimed at local breakfast lovers.
However, what arrived at his table didn’t quite meet expectations.
“Look at the vast difference between the poster and the actual,” Steve said, “This is daylight robbery.”
He added, “Perhaps the poster suggests that the hae bee hiam is applied only to the edges and not the inside of the buns.”
Steve also noted that he reached out to Toast Box via Facebook Messenger to express his dissatisfaction but had not received a response.
The issue of alleged misleading presentation doesn’t seem isolated.
Another disgruntled diner, Audrey, recounted a similar experience from an earlier visit to Toast Box’s United Square outlet on April 10 at around 11:45 a.m. She ordered the braised pork rice set with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake for S$12.
“Think I just had my last meal at Toast Box,” she told Stomp.
Audrey claimed the portion of meat served was “shockingly small” and far from what was portrayed in the promotional images. “Food served with meat cut by 10% from the poster,” she said.
“It’s truly disappointing, especially when you crave for the dish,” she added. “Even though we all know the posters are impressions, this is just way too ridiculous.”
The complaints have sparked debate among netizens, with some echoing the sentiment and sharing their own underwhelming experiences. Others argue that marketing images are, by nature, stylised and not meant to reflect exact portions.
Toast Box has yet to issue a public statement responding to the complaints.