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Holy cannoli: Complaint from grumpy Worcesterite could force Mike's to display prices

The Worcester Telegram picks up the cudgel of a Worcester County resident feeling put out by the way Mike's on Hanover Street doesn't display prices for any of its baked goods. Quotes both a state official who says that's just against the law, and a clearly annoyed Mike's manager, who says he had no idea that was a law and that this is the first time in 60 years anybody's ever complained.

Via NorthEndWaterfront.com.

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Comments

How about their pastries are too sweet and not fresh, never mind whether they display the price.

My question is, does someone from Worcester County, count as a tourist? Do they spend the rest of the day carrying around the bag from Mike's all around town, showing the world that they went to the wrong bakery in the North End?

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Mike's pastry is entirely too sweet and a total tourist trap. I tell visitors all the time they're better off at the Modern.

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1)I guarantee you people have complained in 60 years. What's more likely is that they've greased the wheels for 60 years.

2)Where the person complaining is from...is irrelevant.

3)Newspapers and TV stations have done dozens of "items not priced" stories over the years, because the AG regularly chases down businesses not labeling stuff.

4)Perhaps the manager has noticed the giant sign over the counter at the local sub and pizza shops? Huh. I wonder what all those numbers are for and why they went to the trouble?

Nevermind that it is basic commerce: customers have a right to know the price for an item or see prices on a menu. But in Good Ol Boy North End, apparently you get to make up prices on the spot, which is what I guarantee happens. Walk in with a townie accent and you probably get one price; walk in looking like you're from out of town, and I bet you get another.

In fact, how much do you want to bet that the guy from Worcester talked to a friend about Mike's outrageous prices, the friend couldn't understand why Worcester Dude paid much more, and they put two and two together?

And further, how much you want to bet that this is really because Mike's doesn't want to have to go to the expense of having certified scales?

Or pay taxes other than what they make up? Cash only, no prices...that's so loosey-goosey that the IRS would have a hell of a time trying to prove any tax fraud.

I especially loved the bit about how the menu is "too complex" or "too big" for them to put up...but not for their employees to remember? That's so blatant a lie it's pathetic.

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I thought if you are using scales to sell food, they have to have that little green sticker on it or you're in doo-doo with the inspectors?

Also, if anarchy is the rule of business at Mike's, how does management know which price an employee is charging and for what item? How do they keep track? How do they know who is ripping off who?

Mike's sucks, don't get me wrong, but they haven't survived all these years by robbing their customers based on their accents.

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Brett, thank you for shedding light on the idiosyncratic approach to pricing of certain North End establishments. I would like to add that Mike's is not the only retailer that pulls this stuff. And restaurant "specials" - forget about it!

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I've tried Modern. It was not as good as Mike's and I have not been back to Modern.

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I also am no fan of Mike's, but love to watch fat tourists carrying the boxes all over the city!!

But I do need to say: Most of Worcester sucks the life outta ya'... college then 6 years in that hole. The only reason to be there is a Ralph's burger and a lot of beers.... guy is probably a bitter douche.

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Props to Barbara Anthony for using cannoli as a plural.

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All that crap they sell at Mikes comes from Perkins supply. The cookies are made by a company in NY called Silver Lake.

To maintain the facade, Perkins delivers at odd times. It's all a sham, but hey tourist dollars are better than no dollars.

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Every day, a big Sysco truck backs up to Doyles and drops off the "home-made" frozen and canned stuff.

I've had school cafeteria food that tasted better.

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And we thought they had a farm out back.

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There are things I don't like about Mike's either, but I know as a fact that what they sell is made right there in the back of the store. I know the people that work their butts off doing that, day in and day out. That you cannot say. They even make their own cannoli shells, which other pastry shops do not.

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...do they also freeze their stuff right there in the back of the store? I've bought pastries that were so cold they still had ice crystals in them. Why do they turn around and freeze their products if everything is fresh made? Kind of defeats the purpose.

And re the cannoli shells: if they make them right there in the store, why don't they take the extra 10 seconds to fill them to order (as the good bakeries in the North End do), rather than leave them pre-filled in the case to get soggy? I guess the answer is "because the tourists don't give a shit." and I'd have to agree with that, as Mike's Pastry plastic bags are constantly paraded up and down the Freedom trail. Good for them for having a successful business, but making cannoli shells in store only to pre-fill them, IMO also defeats the purpose.

But then again I don't own a bakery that has lines out the door so what the hell do I know?

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