Become a Mystery Shopper today

I only went to the Cheesecake factory only once before and it was a pretty good experience.  In fact in was over 10 years when I first went.  Now that I am going again and this time I am taking my wife and my newborn.  I went to the closest one to my house. The restaurant is located in Bella Terra of Huntington Beach near several shopping centers and near a Barnes and Noble.  Outside it seemed already big, but when I went inside, it was much bigger and very spacious.  The interior was really nice and plenty of room for incoming traffic.  The hostess did not greet us when until we came in and asked to be seated.  It was really packed even for a weekday/weekend.  It was Friday night so I kind of Understand.  Even though it was packed, it was a total of 15 minute wait for us.

 While we were waiting we took a glance at the menu and saw picture of foods on the hanging TVs.  While we were looking over the menu, I guess it was easier to look at picture of the food on the TV. The atmosphere was great.  It was really dim lighting, something like to 1980’s style.  The style was kind of like a bar almost except it was restaurant. To the right of us was the huge bakery with neon signage behind it. Seemingly hundreds of appetizing cheesecakes lined the cooler.  To be honest this place was not as fancy as I thought it was.  The layout seemed really crowded and there was absolutely no space for walking.  The hostess then took us to the table, but she told us to leave the stroller behind and just carried the baby seat.  I was right on, it was too crowded, but still we followed “orders.”  The waitress that had seated us was named Hailey, my wife orders a diet coke and I got myself a glass of water.  The menu was really tremendous but luckily I saw the pictures of the food prior to seeing the menu.   My wife got the “Seared Tuna Tataki Salad” and I got myself Hibachi Steak. There was complimentary bread which was great appetizers and when I asked Hailey for more, she seemed annoyed and came back and dropped it hard on the table.  I was not impressed by that attitude.  

The Seared Tuna was smaller than it was portrayed in the pictures and the hibachi steak came out less portioned also.  There was a total of 6 pieces on each plate.  We were a little disappointed.  However, the Tuna was good, and it just melts in my mouth.  The steak was average.  It perfectly cooked, but the thing that was not pleasant was the fact that my meal contained a piece of aluminum.  I was surprised because that came from a cleaning utensil.  I immediately lost my appetite.  I called the waitress Hailey and showed them a piece of metal that was in my meal, she told me she was going to inform her manager.  About 10 minutes later, a really nice lady who happens to be the manager herself, Holly, came out and apologized to us.  She took back the food away and going to get us a brand new plate of the same order.  We waited about 20 minutes for the new food to arrive.  I was already full and had lost my appetite, so I decided to get it to-go.  We decided to get dessert, and we shared a tiramisu cheesecake.  It was really delicious but we couldn’t finish it.  We decided to get the check, and surprisingly that my Hibachi Steak was free.  So we ended up paying only for the Tuna Salad and Tiramisu cheesecake.  We were kind of content and left with a happy face.

I was selected to review my local Dick's Sporting Goods, located at 9901 Nicholas Street in Omaha, Ne. I have previously never been into Dick's Sporting Goods, but after going there I am likely to go back. It was such a cool place! The store was spotless, and the racks were anything but bare. I did not see any litter and the store also smelled fresh- it was definitely well taken care of. Also, when you first walk in, there is a climbing wall (I included a photo) and it was super cool!

The store layout was somewhat confusing when it came to looking for things like hoodies, workout gear, and basketball shorts. Those are the specifics I went in for. My boyfriend does a ton of sports and I actually wanted to surprise him with new gear. For specialty items, like fishing rods, hunting, and camping equipment they were easy to locate because related items were side by side. All of the apparel was on one floor, while accessories and items were on the second floor. When I was looking for the basketball shorts, however, the shorts were not all in one area. I discovered that it was separated more by brand, but all over the store. So I did a lot of walking around to find certain brands. The Adidas athletic shirts were in a completely different spot than the Nike ones, but at the same time, still around other Adidas products. It does help a shopper if they are loyal to a brand, but if you are looking for the best possible price instead of a brand it will take some time to look around. I did ask a couple of different staff members where certain items are and they were extremely helpful. They knew exactly where to go and they did not hesitate to stop what they are doing and walk me over to where I wanted. They also gave me some history of Dick’s Sporting Goods since it was my first visit. I truly felt welcomed. Some people find that annoying, being talked to by an employee, but I personally prefer to be asked and decline instead of not being asked and having to hunt a staff member down for help.

Some sales were difficult to determine. There were signs that said ..... is 10% off but only some of the apparel was marked down, even though they were all the same. This prompted my asking an employee if only certain things were on sale and not others. Labeling was clear, however, of what I was buying and I did appreciate that very much. I purchased three pairs of Reebok workout shorts, 1 pair of compression tights, and 2 Nike shirts for my boyfriend.

When I was ready to check out, there were 4 people waiting ahead of me, and two cashiers busy with customers already. A third cashier came to help and started checking out right away. The checkout area was somewhat small, but it did keep everything orderly. There were ropes and signs to lead the line. Rather than having multiple lines and trying to gamble which one will go the fastest, you just jump in one big line and wait for your turn. Somewhat like the DMV; the next cashier available would say, “I can help who is next.” I was also pleasantly surprised at a promotion that Dick's was having. If you signed up for their rewards program, you could get 20% off of your purchase. With all of the items I had chosen as my boyfriend’s gift, I easily racked up about $129.00. After ringing my items up, the cashier informed me of the 30% off promotion and gave it to me, bringing my total down to $85 or so which blew my mind. I know it is a one-time thing, but saving $25 on high-quality sporting clothes that will last for years was definitely a plus. The cashier was very friendly when signing me up for their rewards program and read my information back to me to ensure that my email and phone number were correct. It took less than a minute and after I paid, I was on my way. He was extremely pleasant, polite, talkative and just genuinely seemed to enjoy his job.

Dicks is a great place to shop, and they have equipment for more sports than I thought. Although they are somewhat pricey, many of the items I looked at were discounted and clearly labeled as such. So if you or your family ever need some specialty sporting equipment (such as Lacrosse gear) try looking at your local Dicks Sporting Goods, before going online and buying from a company that charges more because they only make Lacrosse gear. All and all, it was a great experience. My favorite was the variety of things sold, and how nice everyone seemed. I honestly rate my experience a 5. I had never visited there before, so I did not know what to expect, but I plan to return to buy my own workout apparel next time. Also camping and sports gear is their forte, and I am a kickboxer, so I plan to get more MMA gear there as well. Thank you for giving me the pleasure of reviewing Dick’s Sporting Goods.

*Please note, this review was carried out before social distancing was enforced, please follow guidelines in regards to social distancing in your area.* 

Hello,

My experience of the Taco Bell off of Sharon Amity was wonderful. From the pull up to the clean parking lot and beautiful Willow Oak tree to the right of the stand-alone store, to the interior that would rival an Ikea-stage room. The kiosks places for order were clean and easy to use. The staff was available and attentive. The restrooms were the sore sites of this experience. Overall they clean and well-maintained. But with rubbish on the floor.

After placing the order on the kiosk, payment was very easy with Taco Bell‘s gift card. A simple slide and the food was on its way ready to be made. The experience of waiting in line with the other customers was one of relaxation and ease. The sauces were not available for us due to health and safety concerns. but again the staff was cheery and available ready to help.

Efficiencies seem to be the name of the game at this Taco Bell. And the staff was fighting for a solid average. Neither ahead or behind schedule  they did very well. Overall the outside aesthetics were nice. The interior well designed and welcoming. Staff friendly and courteous. All in all a good experience.