Renting tables

Hello everybody,

Before posting my "help cry" I have to apologize that I have not told you what happened at my last event with keeping the plates warm.  Long story, and I would write about it if anyone is interested.  

My "excuse" for not writing in such a long time is that on top of catering, and a failing deli that I am trying to keep it from closing down, I am proudly in charge of a one year and a three year old babies.  

In a very short phrase, the event with "keeping the plates warm" would have been a success, if the food would have been good!  I managed to serve and put everything on the table for 100 people with only 2 servers, and 2 in the kitchen including myself.  But the food was terrible ... and that was a big lesson for me.  Since then I am cooking myself and fired the cook.  I brought the catering's ratings from 3 stars to 5 in less then 4 month.  A lot of work, and a lot of reading from your site!  So I own you a big THANK YOU! for being here.

Anyhow I will share my stories of juggling between catering, deli and the kids if you will like to hear it, particularly that I can use some advices how to keep the deli.

But my question for now is this:  Is a caterer responsible for renting equipment if he/she is an exclusive caterer for a club, which provides the venue?  In other words, I have a party coming soon, the place that the client chose is the venue for which I am an exclusive caterer, and I am already given them %15 of my food revenue.  Now, the reception room needs one more table.  The manager of the place tells me that I have to rent the table as it is my event.  I already let the place use my table cloth and my plates without charging them.  Is this guy taking advantage of me?  How these things work?  Can you please give me any insights, any advices?

I have learnt a lot from your site for the past few months and I still haven't learn as much as I want!  I would appreciate any help you can give me!

Thank you Shroomgirl,

I was waiting like a hawk for your reply!!!

The problem is that we never signed a contract.  He kept postponed our meeting, and lately I have been crazy busy.  He has somebody else coming in, whom he pretends that we end the contract on October.  

Yes, I know!  I have now idea how I pulled it off, but I know that at the end of the evening I was exhausted!  I plated the chicken with the sauce, and the salad, and served coffee and tea!

What helped me is that I had two stationary displays.  So, while the guests where sampling from those, I started plating, and sending 2 of my staff to put them on the table.  The plates where hot, the food was hot, but as I said previously the taste was terrible!  Never thought to taste the food since I hired a professional cook!  Well that was the last time he worked for me!  

Needless to say that I lost that contract ... big contract!  I am thinking of getting them back by offering a free tasting.  Problem is at this point the situation is very complicated ... I am supporting a deli with the money from the catering, and struggling not to close the place down.

Thank you for your advise!  I am kind of frustrated as I am working so hard, I get good reviews, I change the old reputation of the catering, but I can't do the same for the deli, and don't have enough money to set up a testing for the old accounts that were under the former owner!

Sorry Shroomgirl I just realized I did not quite answer your request regarding how ChefTalk has helped me.

In short: in all ways and areas regarding catering, contracts, HACCAP, portioning, serving, plating, recipes, transporting, etc.

8 months ago, when I took over the catering at my husband request, I was just a very good home cook, with a lot of imagination!  

I have never worked in restaurant business, and my background is totally and completely in the opposite direction.  But, in a way it did help me, as I always been served, and I know what people want, and what they expect: honesty, good food, good presentation, and good service.

The deli restaurant that my husband bought to help one of his family member was closed down because did not have a HACCP.

Since, then, and particularly after the event in February I started reading, reading, and reading from your site.  I put up a HACCP based on the deli menu, and I designed a menu for catering, that was approved 3 weeks later.

I set up a webpage for catering.

I got my food manager certification.  I fired all the old staff, hired some recent graduates from the Art Culinary Institute, instilled health regulations in the kitchen, and started cooking everything myself, especially for the catering.  

The problems that I am facing now are that my husband's relative is not a good manager, not to say about cooking.  Slowly all the people I hired quit.  I can't be at the store everyday because is an hour away from home, and I have the two little ones.  When I have a catering, I do everything, and I hire someone to work it with me.  But I realize I need a team, I need people that are determined to work for the passion of bringing this business to success and not only for a paycheck.  I did not see a dime from all the catering I have done, since everything goes to pay the bills of the store!  And now I am almost at the point where I see the closing coming, but I don't want to give it up. 

I have a small catering coming next week, and a quite substantial one at the end of August but these are not enough to pay all the bills.  I know I can make it work if I will be there everyday, but I can't.  I can hire a manager, but needs money, or I am thinking of getting another partner, but again hard to find a trustworthy person.

Ok, I bothered you enough!  This is pretty much my story!

Yes Shroomgirl!  Here are the pics of my two little ones!

And thank you very much for being here!

Hello Lentil,

Thank you so much for your reply and invaluable insights!

I so much understand everything that you wrote!

Well, I don't know where to start .... Let me start with the catering, first.  As I wrote previously, I managed to get the catering business up.  When I say "up", I mean is way better then it was with the previous owner, who for some reason, ruined it!  I was lucky enough to get all his past accounts, granted that some of the clients where unhappy the last year!  

I got over his business in January this year, but as I said before, as a novice!

I have a huge date base.  Problem is that some of his clients were unhappy and still are because of mediocre food/service.  Some of them, like you said never came back in years!  This company has been around since 1996, and just changed owners, until I took over.  In order to get them back I need either a tasting, or like Chefdeb suggested, go to a Farmer's Market.  At this time I do not have the money, and my mind is rolling on how to get the store at least to support itself; but I will get there!

When I took over, I had two events; both of them a disaster.  I was at one of the events, and my partner (my husband's cousin) at the other.  I did not coordinate the event, I did not cook the food for it, and I had no experience what so ever with catering.  Everything was coordinated by the former owner, who wanted me to give him all the money from the contract as a payment toward buying the catering business.

The event was at a private house.  When I got there, about 1 1/2 hours from my store, I was missing one of the meals (beef teriyaki) and the glassware.  I did not have a cook, and the lady in charge of serving, told me that she is a floor manager, and she does not serve, or cook!  BTW she was hired along with two other young boys by the former owner!  She actually was so surprised to learn that I am the new owner, that she called the former owner!  Long story!

As for the glasses, I found out that the former owner told the guy who loaded the truck to put plastic glasses, instead of real ones, although he was managing this client for at least 7 years!  Of course the client was flabbergasting!  The "floor manager" goes and complains to the client, that I am the new owner that she did not know about!  The client almost screams at me and tells me that he does not care what I am going to do, but he needs his glasses!  He was right!  I called my husband and told him, get the kids in the car, go to the store, and get the glasses!  

Well, I did everything I could to make the client happy ... I made the salad in the garage, and warmed up all the sauces, and everything needed for the buffet; and let the lady to be the floor manager!  

I served, talked to the guests, and invite them to taste from the trays.  I cleaned up and load the truck.  The funny thing is that the two boys that were serving approach me asking me if they can work with me on another catering!  LOL!  

At the end the client comes to me and says: "I have to admit that you did keep your posture!  Despite everything my guests where content!"  

At this moments, the "floor lady", who actually worked for the client for the last 7 years, wants to be friendly and wants to teach me that this catering business is not for everyone!  It is hard work!  I did not say anything, just listened, said good-bye, and went to the car where my husband was waiting!  I crushed in the chair and starting crying and told him: I am frustrated, I feel like I failed but I am not going to give up no matter what!  I am going to learn about it, and I will get better"!

Which I did, but then I made a second mistake!  I hired the same cook that the previous owner had for another big account.  For some reason, I did not trust myself cooking for large crowds.  Well, I learnt another lesson, and discovered that actually I can cook for large crowds quite well!  Practice and learning is what I missed!  And I still have so much to learn....

As for the store, that it is another long story.  Allow me Lentil to tell you about it tomorrow, as I just have few hours to sleep.  My daughter is waking up at 5:30 every morning!

Well, good night to you and everybody here!

I am glad that you are here for me, and maybe I can help someone at least with one thing:  Never give up, if you truly believe in what are you doing!