The REAL version of lies... I guess you can't trust the internet, hmm

This is the NOT-so-brief and yet much more accurate version of their form... which has yet to be properly posted on the internet.... I wonder why they're hesitating...  Sorry for the awkward format.  Welcome to my day!  (I'm going to take some liberty here and highlight a few of the better clauses located within it)

Voice of America Ronald Reagan Lodge Catering
Request for Proposal (RFP)
MetroParks of Butler County (MetroParks) is seeking to provide catered food service for social and professional events and other group functions at the Voice of America MetroPark (VOA) Ronald Reagan Lodge, 7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester, OH 45069 and at other facilities throughout the park district.
1. Overview of RFP Process
A. Responses to this RFP are due April 10, 2015 at noon
B. A pre-response meeting will be held on March 31, 2015 at 10:00 am. Meeting (optional) held in the Community Room at VOA Lodge, 7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester, OH 45069 to answer RFP questions. Those considering to submit a proposal are encouraged to attend.
C. Notifications of approved vendors will take place within 30 days of RFP due date.
2. Criteria for selection
RFP responses meeting minimum standards will be evaluated on four criteria:
A. Food concept: distinctive, tasty, healthy, affordable, attractive; and
B. Operations: safe, clean, sustainable, attractive; and
C. Ability to deliver the indicated service: experience with catering food service, references, permitting; and
D. Financial offer/payment to MetroParks.
3. Details of Submission Requirements
A. RFP responses must be submitted by April 10, 2015 at noon.
1. Emailed to tlove@yourmetroparks.net in PDF format with the subject line of: VOA Catering RFP or
2. Mail to: MetroParks of Butler County
2051 Timberman Road
Hamilton, OH 45013
Attn: VOA Catering RFP.
B. All required documents listed on the Catering RFP Checklist, see page 6.
VOA Catering RFP 2 of 9 TIL/CSW 3/12/2015
C. Written Portion
1. Food Catering Concept
MetroParks seeks distinctive, high-quality food options that are consistent with the MetroParks mission of promoting health, community, and sustainability.
Proposals are strongly encouraged with menus that are distinctive, interesting, and locally sourced.
The submission should describe the food concept and how it fits with the description above. The proposal should specifically describe how the offering is relevant to its potential customers.
2. Operations Plan
MetroParks seeks caterers that recognize that they are a critical contributor to the image of the VOA Ronald Reagan Lodge. MetroParks will enforce high standards for appearance and service level, but more importantly, MetroParks seeks caterers who will be partners in maintaining these high standards of operation. RFP responses should describe the operational plan, including:
a. On-site operations – MetroParks operates the parks to be clean, green, and safe, and expects food caterers to do the same.
i. Cleanliness: Describe what measures will be taken to reduce spills, litter, etc., and how the location will be kept clean.
ii. Utilities: There is access to utilities on-site. Respondents should describe exactly what their utility needs are and how they are accommodated.
iii. Other: Describe the number and uniform/dress of the staff the respondent intends to dedicate for food services.
b. Partnership
i. MetroParks seeks partners in its efforts to bring vibrancy, beauty and innovation to the park and facility. Please describe possible areas of collaboration including events, marketing, messaging.
3. Food Service Experience
a. RFP responses should describe previous food service experience of the owner and key staff. Provide web links to any relevant media (traditional or social) about the owners or their business(es).
b. Respondent must certify that they have no outstanding code or other regulatory violations. The respondent must state whether they have been cited for illegal catering activities in the last five years; if so, a written explanation of the charges and outcome must be included. Respondent must have no Catering commissions or other financial obligations overdue or payment pending to MetroParks of Butler County.
c. Please provide information regarding past, present and potential clients or business relationships with other parties that either do pose or could pose a conflict of interest if the respondent were selected.
VOA Catering RFP 3 of 9 TIL/CSW 3/12/2015
4. Financial Offer
a. MetroParks shall receive in exchange for the operation of a catering event within a MetroParks facility a usage fee of at least fifteen percent (15%) of the gross food sales, not including sales tax for any catered event (including drop-off services). Said payment and detailed invoice shall accompany the delivery of service (COD) for the client at the facility at the time of the client event.
b. Approved Caterers may not list on their website, in their rules & regulations or on any customer’s invoice that there is an additional surcharge/usage fee for catering at the Ronald Reagan Lodge.
4. Additional Information
MetroParks reserves the right to reject any or all responses if it determines that such action is in the best interest of MetroParks. MetroParks reserves the right to modify, suspend or cancel the RFP process at any time at its sole discretion. Responses which do not meet basic requirements or those which fail to meet minimum standards on any single evaluation criteria may be disqualified.
A. MetroParks regards customer service as its main priority within its facilities; it is imperative that all Approved Caterers share this concern. MetroParks reserves the right to terminate an Approved Caterer if said caterer is unable to provide the level of service detailed in this policy or fails to comply with the terms of the policy.
B. The Approved Caterer shall obtain and provide MetroParks with any necessary permits or licenses for the operation of a catered event.
C. The Approved Caterer expressly agrees to indemnify and save MetroParks and/or its Board, volunteers, and employees harmless from any and all claims arising from its operation of the catered event, and the performance of the contract, including but not limited to, the negligence or carelessness of the Approved Caterer’s employees or agents. The Approved Caterer also expressly agrees to indemnify MetroParks and/or its employees to the extent of any recoveries against them individually and/or jointly arising from any such claims, including attorney fees and any other costs of defense incurred by MetroParks and its agents and/or employees.
D. The Approved Caterer agrees to abide by all MetroParks Park Rules and Regulations not otherwise waived by the MetroParks in writing. A full copy of the Rules and Regulations will be provided upon request.
E. The Approved Caterer shall operate its catering activities on MetroParks property without discrimination as to gender, race, age, creed, or national origin, will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and shall employ only persons authorized to work under federal and state law.
F. The Approved Caterer will furnish bodily injury and property damage insurance for the premises, operations and product liability in the amount of $2,000,000. MetroParks shall be named as an additional insured on all said policies. The Approved Caterer shall furnish proof of all insurance policies to MetroParks at all times during this agreement without demand.
G. The Approved Caterer status shall be reviewed on an annual basis. The Approved Caterer status may be cancelled by MetroParks with written notice for reasons
VOA Catering RFP 4 of 9 TIL/CSW 3/12/2015
involving illegal, corrupt or immoral practices of the Approved Caterer, or conduct of the Approved Caterer in such a manner as to bring discredit upon MetroParks or to create a financial loss to MetroParks.
H. In addition, MetroParks may reject any response that contains contingencies, additions not called for, omissions, errors, or irregularities of any kind. MetroParks reserves the right to waive any and all informalities or minor irregularities, including without limitation receipt of any omitted materials or information subsequent to submission.
I. MetroParks will not be responsible under any circumstances for any costs incurred by any respondents to this RFP.
J. In MetroParks sole discretion, if the selected Vendor or Vendors cannot meet the need(s), MetroParks reserves the right to license additional vendors.
K. Any MetroParks facility clients scheduled prior to final selection of Approved Caterers will be grandfathered to previous policy.
L. Documentation required to be submitted by the Preferred Caterer’s to MetroParks of Butler County annually:
 Catering qualifications; and
 Training certification; and/or
 Certifications required by MetroParks for Approved Caterer(s).
5. Caterer Guidelines
A. General Guidelines
1. The Approved Caterer agrees not to assign this contract in whole or part, or subcontract all or any part of this contract without the prior written consent of MetroParks.
2. The Approved Caterer shall provide MetroParks with appropriate brochures specific to the Approved Caterer’s operation, for the distribution to prospective clients.
3. The Approved Caterer agrees to not permit gambling or games of chance or schemes of chance upon the premises; to not install, operate, or permit to be operated or installed any gambling device; or permit or conduct any activities upon the premises that are illegal or contrary to good morals.
4. Approved Caterer’s shall not offer or provide any beverages to clients at any MetroParks facility.
5. The Approved Caterer shall be responsible for the cleanup of any area utilized by said caterer for an event. MetroParks will pay for the utility costs for gas, electric, water, sewer, recycling and trash removal from an adjacent bulk location. All equipment and supplies must be removed from the site after each event.
B. Day of Event Guidelines
1. The Approved Caterer will park on the paved designated area on the side of the lodge and enter through the catering entrance. Parking in the breezeway between the Welcome Center and the lodge is prohibited. A MetroParks
VOA Catering RFP 5 of 9 TIL/CSW 3/12/2015
employee on duty will assist the Approved Caterer with gaining access to the Lodge.
2. Prior to the event the Approved Caterer shall sign in with the MetroParks host and provide payment and detailed client invoice prior to meal preparation and set up.
3. The Approved Caterer will provide food and set up for the event, providing plates, napkins, cutlery, service utensils, and china drinking cups per customer’s special request. The Approved Caterer will clean up any area utilized by said caterer including busing of tables, cleaning up buffet or food stations, wiping down and mopping kitchen food prep area, and removal of garbage from facility (trash will be placed in high density refuge liners provided by caterer prior to placing in the VOA bulk collection location).
4. It is the Approved Caterers staff’s responsibility to provide their own beverages while on duty at the MetroParks facility.
5. Any questions should be directed to a MetroParks designated Host present at the event.
6. Staff members are not permitted to dine while on duty.
7. Approved Caterers are prohibited from disposing cooking oils, soups, gravies, and debris in any sinks, lawn, or trash receptacles at the facility. Damages from caterers neglect to the facility will be billed to said Caterer.
8. Approved Caterers will be permitted large kettle grilling outdoors next to the Caterer turn-around and drop off area. Approved Caterer is fully responsible for providing fire-extinguishing equipment; overflow grease drip pans, and equipment for the removal of grease, charcoal, and debris that occur as a result of outdoor grilling.
9. The Approved Caterer will have access to MetroParks kitchen microwaves, convection oven and range; stand up refrigerator, sinks, and floor mopping equipment. The Approved Caterer is required to clean up after using all said equipment at the conclusion of the catering service event.
All other items, not mentioned in the above specifications, will be negotiable between the Approved Caterers and MetroParks through its designee.
Questions may be directed to: Tara Love at (513)867-5835 or tlove@yourmetroparks.net
VOA Catering RFP 6 of 9 TIL/CSW 3/12/2015
Catering RFP Checklist
Caterers will be selected based on criteria that is determined by MetroParks and outlined below. Five (5) caterers will be selected in total. Of those, three (3) caterers will be able to provide full catering options for renters. The additional two (2) openings will be filled with specialized catering services, including ethnic food options and local favorites.
a. _____ Summary Sheet – Form 1
b. _____ Notarized Non-Collusion Affidavit – Form 2
c. _____ Reference List – Form 3
d. _____ Copy of Food Service License
e. _____ Copy of Certificate of Liability Insurance naming MetroParks as an additional
Insured ($2,000,000.00)
f. _____ Copy of Bureau of Worker’s Compensation Certificate
g. _____ Federal W-9 form
h. _____ Sample Menu including pricing
i. _____ Written portion (Food caterer concept, Operation plan, Food service
experience)
j. _____ Three business references and/or letters of recommendation for events similar
to those at the Ronald Reagan Lodge
k. _____ Size of events caterers are capable of hosting
a. 1 to 100 served
b. 100 to 250 served
l. _____ Health Department records for the past two years
m. _____ Number of years in business
a. 0 to 5 years
b. 5 years plus
n. _____ All employees are current on health department food preparation
regulations
o. _____ Number of catered events previously completed at VOA Ronald Reagan Lodge
p. _____ Category for catering service
a. Full service
b. Ethnic/Indian
c. Cincinnati Specialty
Financial Offer (check applicable box):
Minimum fifteen percent (15%)
Proposed percentage __________
By the submission of the required information and materials, the respondent grants to MetroParks an unrestricted license to use such information and materials.
VOA Catering RFP 7 of 9 TIL/CSW 3/12/2015
Request for Proposal (RFP) Summary Sheet – Form 1 2051 Timberman Rd. Hamilton, OH 45013 P: 513-867-5835 www.yourmetroparks.net
The undersigned agrees to provide catering at the Voice of America MetroPark Ronald Reagan Lodge in cooperation with MetroParks of Butler County, and agrees to the terms and conditions set forth in the Approved Voice of America Ronald Reagan Lodge Catering Request for Proposal.
Company/Organization Name:
Mailing Address:
City/State/Zip:
Printed Name/Title:
Signature:
Phone:
Fax:
Cell Phone:
Email:
Website:
Owner Social Security Number or Federal Employer ID Number:
Person to be contacted regarding proposal (name/title):
**All materials mailed to** MetroParks of Butler County
Attn: VOA Catering RFP 2051 Timberman Rd. Hamilton, OH 45013
or email to: tlove@yourmetroparks.net in PDF format
VOA Catering RFP 8 of 9 TIL/CSW 3/12/2015
Non-Collusion Affidavit – Form 2
STATE OF______________________________ COUNTY OF___________________________
The undersigned being first duly sworn as provided as law, deposes and says:
1. His/her name is ____________________________________________________________________
and he/she resides at ________________________________________________________________
and his/her office is at _______________________________________________________________
2. He/she makes this affidavit with the knowledge and intent that it is to be filed with MetroParks and that it will be relied upon by said MetroParks in any consideration which it may give to and any action which it may take with respect to this/these proposal(s).
3. He/she makes and is authorized to make this affidavit on behalf of:
_________________________________________________________________________________
(Name of Corporation, Partnership, Individual, etc.)
a ____________________________________, formed under the laws of ________ of which he/she
(Corporation, Partnership, etc.) (State)
is ________________________________________________________________________________
(Sole Owner, Partner, President, etc.)
4. Neither the undersigned nor any other person, firm or corporation, named in above Paragraph 3 nor anyone else to the knowledge of the undersigned, have themselves solicited or employed anyone else to solicit favorable action for this/these proposal(s) by MetroParks; also, that no employee therein, or any officer of the MetroParks is directly or indirectly interested therein.
5. The undersigned certifies in connection with this/these proposal(s) that:
a. The price in this/these proposal(s) has been independently arrived at without collusion with any other contractor or offerer or with any competitor:
b. Unless otherwise required by law, the price in this/these proposal(s) has not been knowingly disclosed and will not be knowingly disclosed prior to award of a proposal, directly or indirectly to any other competitor; and
c. No attempt has been or will be made to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal.
d. The affiant certifies that he has fully informed himself/herself regarding the accuracy of the statements contained in this certification.
________________________________________________
(Affiant)
Sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence this _____day of ________________, ______.
(Notarial Seal)
___________________________________
(Notary Public)
VOA Catering RFP 9 of 9 TIL/CSW 3/12/2015
Reference List – Form 3
MetroParks of Butler County has my permission to contact any of the references hereinafter listed for information regarding past contracts I and/or my business have held and/or related vending experiences.
__________________________________
Signature/Date
Name:________________________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________________
Telephone:_____________________________________________________________________
Description of Work:_____________________________________________________________
Name:________________________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________________
Telephone:_____________________________________________________________________
Description of Work:_____________________________________________________________
Name:________________________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________________
Telephone:_____________________________________________________________________
Description of Work:_____________________________________________________________
Attach additional sheets as needed.

Why the VOA Ronald Reagan Lodge is asking me to LIE to my customers!!

So I received an email today from the folks at the VOA in Butler County, Ohio and I must say, I was so offended I thought the other gals in the office were going to have to tie me to my chair to keep me from blowing the roof off the office.

Basically, to summarize with far fewer inappropriate words, they want to tell me how to run MY business if I want to be on THEIR catering list.  How about not!  That is not how Raffel's Catering has operated in the past and that is ABSOLUTELY NOT how we plan to run things moving into the future.

So, if you'd like to read their "Catering Request for Proposal" you'll find it online at: http://www.butlercountymetroparks.org/documents/food-vendor-rfp.pdf

Once you take a gander at that, please feel free to continue reading our ever-so-polite response to opt out of being on their list.  While we appreciate them thinking of us, we'd rather continue to do business with some basic degree of morality and autonomy.

Our response if you're interested:

Tara Love, Manager of Visitor Services

MetroParks of Butler County

2051 Timberman Road

Hamilton, Ohio 45013

Maggie Raffel, Development Director

Raffel’s Catering, Inc.

10160 Reading Road

Evendale, Ohio 45241

RE: Catering RFP

Tuesday March 24, 2015

Ms. Love,

Having just received your email in regards to the new catering contract, I have to be perfectly honest with you.  I found it to be blatantly offensive, disrespectful, greedy and absolutely flat-out ridiculous.  Our company has been in business for forty-two years and we have NEVER had to fill out this much absurd information just to have the “privilege” of utilizing another business’ location.  And we do business with the government!!!

If you want to save yourself a few minutes, I can summarize this entire letter for you with one brief sentence: 

So long as the MetroParks of Butler County, specifically the VOA Ronald Reagan Lodge, is using these practices to conduct business, Raffel’s Catering, Inc. will NEVER do business with or for you.

This is undoubtedly one of the most offensive letters I have ever received in my professional career.  What astounds me is that I know you sent this to many of my fellow catering colleagues in the city, my “competition” as it were, and they will probably waste countless hours trying to put together this convoluted proposal only to lose out to the 5 businesses you without a doubt, have already pre-selected.  This is just an unprofessional time-wasting enterprise for everyone not on the cut list; an “official application process” to help validate your selections.  Maybe my competitors didn’t notice this, but we did.

While I applaud your efforts to include local companies which share your general philosophy within the community and to help promote businesses which have implemented new strategies to make their businesses more “sustainable” I find your methods to be deceitful, juvenile and more than a little pretentious.  Your use of keywords like “critical contributor” and “partners in maintaining these high standards” belies your true intentions.  You are behaving like a high school clique, seeking to find only people just like you to serve people just like you.  I’m sure you might have an inkling about this, but the Tri-State is actually a tremendously diverse area and your decision to select “an additional two” service providers to the 3 you will ultimately select, to be ethnically based is actually rather offensive. And Raffel’s isn’t even a specifically “ethnic” food provider!!

The most pretentious part of your request though, is where you put in rules and regulations about how I get to run MY business, treat MY employees and sell services to MY customers.  Since we have catered a few events here and there throughout our 42 years in business, we actually do have just a little bit of experience of what it takes to take care of our employees and our customers well enough to have them coming back repeatedly.  On average our employees stay with us for at least 10 years.  In the food service industry, this is almost unheard of.  Do you know why that is?  Because we treat them with respect, like members of our own family.  When you tell me that I can’t allow my employees to eat while at work (FOR a foodservice company), I find that ridiculous.  When you tell me your staff will not offer them any drinks, I find that petty and cheap.  (Our staff almost always brings along a few bottles of water or soft drinks as we never expect, but always appreciate, any beverage generosity from our Host location.)  Your request is absolutely proof that you are running a business with only the bottom line in mind.  For all your “community centered” plans and ideas, you are a profit-mongering business with concern only for yourselves, your raises and your profits, NOT the community of which we’re apart. 

My proof?  Your very own website. It states that for a Saturday night room rental, you charge $1,610.00 for rental.  If they want pop its $5 per person.  If they want beer and pop its $11; beer, wine & pop, $14; or god help they want beer, wine, pop AND liquor, it will cost them $18 per guest. For 4 hours of time.  How about doing an easy math problem with me, huh??

I’m a bride and I want to have my reception for 200 guests at the Ronald Reagan Lodge.  I have to pay you $1,610.00 just for the room.  Now, since I don’t want a line at the drinking fountain, I’ll have to purchase a drink package.  Let’s assume that I at least want to have a beer or a glass of wine at my own reception… that means I get to add $14.00 x 200 or $2,800.00 to the check I get to write you.  So now we’re at $4,410.00 for my location.  Time for food!  Let’s say I hire a local caterer with mid-range pricing for some appetizers and a nice buffet dinner.  I’m easily looking at $22-25 per person, but wait, I forgot to add the 15% surcharge that you’ve put on my caterer (which they are WITHOUT ANY DOUBT passing on to me).  So that means that $22 dollars becomes $25.30 and that $25 becomes $28.75.  So my catering bill, instead of being $4,400 to $5,000 dollars is actually closer to being between $5,060 and $5,750.  A difference of $660 to $750.  Do my greedy caterers get to keep that money??  Nope.  THEY get to cut YOU a check for the difference.  So now, I’m not paying you $1,610 for the room, I’m not paying you $4,410 for drinks and a room, I’m ACTUALLY paying you $5,160 for the awesome privilege of hosting my reception with you.  Maybe I’m crazy, but $1,610 as advertised is a far cry from the $5,160 I REALLY get to pay you.  What a lucky bride I would be!!  (Oh and did I forget to add in the sales tax??  Silly me!!)

This letter could go on for pages about the offensive and inappropriate information you want us to provide.  You don’t need to know my client list or who my business relations are. You don’t need an itemized invoice of what I’ve provided for my customers.  That’s between them and me. You don’t get to determine if I meet the needs of my guests’ contracts.  What you need to know is that I am licensed and insured to do business within your state/county and that I am Board of Health inspected and approved. (Oh, and we had exactly ZERO citations on our last inspection this year, if you MUST know.)  What you need to know is that we are a reputable business in good standing within our community and that we provide the best service available to all of our customers. 

I don’t mind your rules about cleaning up after ourselves because that’s a rule we already follow, with or without your request.  We NEVER go to another business’ establishment, use their equipment and leave it messy or broken.  We own and operate two facilities of our own and treat everyone else’s with just as much respect (if not more!) than our own.  Your excessive rules regarding facility treatment leads me to assume that you’ve allowed in less than reputable businesses in the past and were burned by their poor service.  That’s no reason to punish the non-offenders.  But to be certain, that you had the audacity to tell me what kind of trash bags I HAVE to provide YOU to maintain YOUR facility, is the straw that broke our back here. 

How dare you.

This RFP an absolute pathetic waste of paper and a complete waste of my time, my company’s time and my fellow caterer’s time.  And it’s a waste of the taxpayer’s money which I know was spent to draft it.

If you should ever figure out how to run a “vibrant, beautiful and innovative” facility properly and should seek in the future to invite back decent companies, feel free to send me another catering contract.  Otherwise, I wish you and your future clients nothing but the best.  Well, second best, as Raffel’s won’t be a part of this particular endeavor.

With regards,

Maggie Raffel

Maggie Raffel, Development Director.

Raffel’s Catering, Inc.

What catering means to a caterer.

Sometimes its hard for me to come up with good things to talk about on this blog.  I know for sure that I don't want to waste your time with something inane, dry and pointless.  I want to tell you about interesting things that cross my mind, and as much as my friends and family might disagree, I don't always like to talk just to hear myself make noise.  I like to make a point... sometimes, many points... and in no particular order.

It took me a while to come up with a topic that you'd be interested in, but I think I have one.  And it's so obvious it's scary.

I want to talk about catering.

I know you all just blinked and said "Duh, ya think?!?"  but I'm serious.  I think a lot of people have a misconception these days about what catering actually is and I probably should have started with this in the beginning!

When the recession hit, a lot of places, especially restaurants, saw their profits crushed.  From huge corporate franchises to small mom and pop cafes, people were scrambling to find a way to regain their footing and recapture their space in the market.  Why?  Because a lot of people just stopped eating at restaurants.

The restaurant's solution?  If people won't eat here because of the time and cost, maybe they'll still buy our food and take it with them.  And so, the surge of curb-side pick up and restaurant  "catering" took off.  Now, whenever you go to a nicer sit-down restaurant, the back of the menu, the table-tent or some poster on the wall talks all about their "new catering options!"  You can get sandwich trays and soups and "all your favorites" wherever and whenever you want!  Most people think, "Well hey, there's an idea! I love their food in the restaurant so it must be good if I take it home or to work."  What they don't think of is that restaurants aren't set up for catering.  They are not designed for the quantity food production setting that catering companies are built around.  

Think about the last time you went to a restaurant.  How long did it take to be seated?  How fast was the service?  How hot was the food?  How prepared was the kitchen when that 30-top birthday party walked in?  How well would they have done if another 30-top came in?  How about another one?  And another one?  Think back to Prom weekend when every restaurant in the city was packed with high school kids.  Now ask yourself those questions again.  Take your server, in that situation, and ask them to leave the restaurant and bring your meal to your office.  How confident are you in their service now?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing restaurants.  I go to them (probably more than I should!) and I very much enjoy going to them.  I think they serve an excellent purpose in our society and are a shining symbol of the absolute success of the American way of life.  I think its an amazing industry full of excitement, challenges and a huge diversity of people, tastes and ideas.  I don't however, think its the same as the catering industry.  

I've worked in both industries and can tell you from first hand experience, restaurants are what they are and they are good at doing what they do.  Catering however, is a totally different ballgame.

Catering is not just bringing people food.  Catering is bringing people service.  Anyone can go to Costco or Sam's Club or whatever grocery store they want and get food to take to an event.  What a caterer does is bring the service of food preparation and experience to you.  

Would you call the pizza delivery guy a caterer?  Why not?  They brought you food didn't they?  The same thing applies to restaurants, delis and cafes.  Their staff shows up, they grab your order, run it out to wherever you want, toss it on the table or just hand it to you and take off.  There's no care or concern about the display, there's no interest in even checking if you got everything you wanted.  They want in, they want out and they want paid.  That's not catering, that's food delivery.  When a caterer brings you your meal, they don't just plop it haphazardly wherever there's a spot.  They move things around and arrange the table so that the food flows in a logical pattern.  They aren't going to put the condiments first and then place the sandwiches all the way at the other end of the table.  There is a flow to each event and that needs to be maintained properly.  That's how a successful event is created and finished. 

When you order from a caterer, they should ask what kind of event it is.  If they're a knowledgeable company, they'll have good suggestions and offerings for almost every kind of event.  They should know that a secretaries brunch is a far cry from an afternoon construction worker safety meeting.  A wedding will have special needs but different ones than a surprise party.  Everything is individual and all the details matter to a caterer.    

Caterers should follow your schedule, not theirs. They arrive when you ask them to and they make sure you're serving your guests at the time you requested.  Restaurants don't do that.  Your order gets finished when they get to it and the food is delivered when they have someone to get it to you.  That's not catering.  That's bringing you food.  We don't "bring people food".  We cater events and meetings and parties and generally help out wherever we're needed.  We take care of the people who order from us and make sure there is nothing else they need before we leave.  Why?  Because we're caterers and that's how we roll.

I hope I've explained well enough so far, what catering is.  I don't want to be too long winded and I'm sure I'll be back on this subject again to continue the explanation in another blog.  I guess basically, I'm just trying to explain that just because a place says they "cater", doesn't mean they really do.  Most places are just food delivery places.

I guess I just got to thinking that a lot of people are really shocked by the depth of service we provide and that surprises me.  It scares me when something which I consider to be common sense in this industry, other people call going above and beyond.  If someone is going to order 75 dinners from me, in my mind, of course I'm going to bring them a plate to eat it on and a fork & knife to eat it with.  That just makes sense.  Some places up-charge for that and others (mostly restaurants) don't even think to add it in!  You ordered food not plastic-ware after all.

It just surprises me the silly stuff that's out there and the people who get absolutely hoodwinked by it.  They see a new "catering" menu all in HG TV-style with items written in French and suddenly its a high-end thing.  "Its gotta be classy, they have Pasta au Gratin with Panko Crumbs."  No, it's still just box mac & cheese and it started as a powdery orange mess.  They just put bread crumbs on top and burnt them a little.  That's not catering.  Those things don't last and usually aren't worth the phone call.  They're all flash, no flavor.

My thought is to do what you're good at and only take on new things if you're willing to do them right.  I'm sure there are places that have branched out and have been very successful.  If you go into it thinking "this is what I'm focusing on", chances are, you'll be successful.  If you go into it thinking "I'm going to make tons of money on this stuff!" then you're not focusing on the right things and will inevitably fail... probably making a lot of other companies look bad in the process.

So for now, I'm going to leave it at that, but hopefully you've found this a little bit interesting and just a little bit informative.  Let me know what you think and we can keep the discussion going!

Jousting Easter Peeps

This time of year, everyone seems to be talking about one of three things:  microwaving Peeps, coloring dirty words onto Easter eggs or over-eating at some random relative's house while discussing sports.  The occasional comment of snow/rain/sun also sneaks into the conversation from time to time, but usually only on commercial breaks.  While I enjoy microwaving marshmallow animals as much as the next person (try putting two in together, face to face, and putting toothpicks in them... that way they joust as they puff!!) I tend to think more about the changing of the season and the welcoming back of greenery into our days at this time of year.

I find myself looking at the trees beginning to bud and the hidden flowers sprouting out of every nook and cranny and think, this is literally, a breath of fresh air.  Don't get me wrong, I love winter, probably much more than the average Cincinnatian, but even me, the self pro-claimed Snow Queen, find myself looking forward to the colorful spring displays nature puts on each year.

I like to think of spring as more than just an excuse to clean and suffer from seasonal allergies.  I think of it as a time to put new ideas into action.  A time to dust off old plans and find new ways to make them happen this year.  Everybody thinks New Years is the best time to put together resolutions.  I think that's wrong. I think spring should be the time to sprout goals and plans and dreams and it's a much better time to actually chase after them!  Its easy to say in January that you'll walk more or eat better or try harder but in reality, when you look out to the grey sky, you're going to go put on another blanket, a thicker pair of socks, eat a hearty, heavy meal and plunk yourself on your couch watching re-runs of your favorite TV show for the next three months. 

My though is, why not allow yourself some comfortable hibernation?  What's wrong with enjoying the holidays to the fullest and letting yourself relax for a few months?  Enjoy the slow season for the very reason that it IS slow and allow yourself some rest before everything wakes back up again.  Just be ready to go when the time comes...

When the trees bud, when the tulips sprout, when your allergies start acting up, THAT'S when you should start energizing yourself for your new year.  Your body will wake up and it will be time to get up and grow.  When you look out the window and most of the ice has melted, that's the best time to head out into the world and make the changes you've been pondering since Christmas.  Winter is the time to plan, spring is the time to put those plans into action.  As cliche as it sounds, our thoughts really are like seeds.  Put them in the ground when everything's dormant, but when its time to come alive, they should be prepped and ready to go!

So, since we've all had more than enough time to veg out on the couch this winter, its time to get up, shed some layers and get out into the new, green world and make some changes.  Its time to grow and time to smile, its time to suffer from our seasonal allergies and be happy the sky isn't grey anymore.  It's time to crudely color eggs and spend time laughing with family. So take to your microwaves, set those chicks to jousting and get your butts outside and DO something this year!  Make it worth the winter wait!

Alright, so after my first posting I see a few people at least took 30 seconds from their day to check it out.  Thank you for that.  Hopefully a few people subscribed while they were visiting and are interested in sharing or at least reading my blog from time to time.

So, since I am new to blogging, I did what anyone would do... I Googled what the heck I'm supposed to do with it!  Some sites say blogs are just there for you to express your thoughts and opinions, others say its to help people.  Still others say its where I'm supposed to market my business ideas or to show that I am an expert in my field.  But overall, they seem to say this is a way for me to stay connected, be it with family, friends, co-workers, customers or just anyone!  I like that idea.  But then again, I liked all the other ones too, so Googling pretty much didn't help at all.

After much review and online research, I've decided to do what I originally planned on doing... winging it.  I'm open to any comments, questions or topics.  Just hit the "Respond" button or "Comment"  or whatever the button at the bottom of the blog says and let me know what you'd like to hear about.  Otherwise, you are going to be subjected to my inane ramblings, which from time to time might prove useful or even funny or sometimes both.  Who knows!?

On this blog, I'd like to include something useful and helpful in relation to the catering/hospitality field with each post but first, I suppose I ought to fill in a tiny bit of biography in order for you to actually believe some of the info I'm going to put in here.  I've been involved in the catering/food service business literally, since birth.  My family has been catering, cooking and generally taking care of things for over 40 years, but I can't claim that kind of longevity myself.  Personally, I have been catering for over 15 years.  There's not much I haven't seen or at least heard of when it comes to this field and rarely am I surprised by some of the things I see.  I did go to college to study this industry, so at least one public institution in this state certifies that I know what I'm talking about.  I've held a few different jobs over the years relating to catering and food service so I do have a little varierty to share with you all.  Its not always been just family drama for me.  If there's anything you're curious about, please feel free to ask.  If I don't want to share that bit of info, I'll say so.  Otherwise, ask away.

So now after that terribly convincing display of know-how, I'm going to share a helpful little insider trick that some of you might actually find useful.  Many of you have used store-bought chafing dishes.  Those little wire racks that you found at Sam's or Costco and have the flames underneath them that keep your hot food hot, and after a while, dangerously chewy?  Many people have them stored in their garages or offices and like to save a few bucks on their catering order by using their own, rather than renting from us.  (This is a totally awesome idea and I love it!  I'm all about saving money whenever you can, as long as you aren't sacrificing quality.)  My only bit of wisdom I'd like you wire-dish-users to keep in mind is to please note that the pan you have your two inches of water in is very often the same size pan that we caterers also use to transport food in.  This usually proves problematic when we go to put the food pan in the water pan.  The result is most often a splash all over your table and a confused look about what just happened.  My professional opinion?  Only put about a half inch of water into your pan.  You aren't trying to boil the food, just keep it warm for serving.  My other suggestion? In that half inch of water, grab a couple inches of aluminum foil wrap and twist it into a coil or two, put them in the water and voila!  You have something that will keep the food pan from squishing water over the sides of the bottom pan.  It works, I've done it, it's awesome.  Trust me.

Keep it in mind on your next order... you might be surprised.

Until next time, happy catering!

New Beginnings!

So, being 13 years into the new millenium, I've decided that we might as well put a personal voice onto the internet for Raffel's Catering!  I'm new to blogging, so please bear with me for a bit.  I want this to be a useful forum wherever and however possible and not just a place for pointless chatter... there's already more than enough of that on the internet as it is!

I've always had an interest in writing, no matter what my high school English teachers might've said, and I'd like to add to that interest here on our blog.  It seems like it might have some interesting potential...

So, seeing as how this IS my first and only blog so far, please feel free to comment and let me know what sort of things you might be interested in discussing or hearing about.  I have no problem going into some controversial topics or answering bizarre questions.   But be warned, if you ask a stupid question I can almost promise you that I will respond with a stupid answer.  But, if I can figure out what you really meant, I'll give it my best shot to respond accordingly.

I'm sending this blog out into the ether to see what comes of it and will hopefully get a few people interested in following it.  I'll try to keep the topic relevant to catering and other food service/hospitality topics but I can't guarantee I won't veer off-topic once in a while.  I can only talk about centerpieces and linens for so long before I'll go even crazier than I already am!!

I want this to be a more casual front for us and a place where people can actually get honest answers to questions that they can't seem to find on the internet.  A lot of times there's just way too much out there when all you really want is a quick, simple answer.  At least in my opinion.

Alright, here we go bloggers... let's see what we get!