Complaint Review: 5 Chefs - Occasions - Portland Tennessee

My fianc and I currently live in Knoxville, but we are moving to the Portland-Nashville area in a few months and decided to have our wedding in Portland. We thought that we had found the ideal place for our wedding because there are members of our family in the area, as well as a charming chapel and a quaint rehearsal dinner/reception facility, the latter of which is the subject of this complaint.

My documented contact with 5 Chefs, our prospective rehearsal dinner/reception facility, began with a phone call on December 29, 2005 to book December 29 and 30, 2006 for my rehearsal dinner and reception. (I have no other phone besides my cell phone, and the bills substantiate the dates of all phone calls provided herein.) Pursuant to my phone call, my fianc and I visited 5 Chefs on December 30, 2005, though we had visited the establishment before. On December 30, 2005, we discussed with Meg available menu items for our events and took materials detailing the same. I also took notes on the hourly rate, the times that the facility would be available on Friday and Saturday (December 29 & 30, 2006), as well as other procedures and restrictions adhered to by those who use 5 Chefs' catering services and facility. As of December 30, 2005, 5 Chefs was not booked for December 29 and 30, 2006. I asked if I could make a deposit or otherwise book the dates for my events and was told that I could not book the facility or services without first speaking to Kathy Bennett, who was in Las Vegas at the time. I spoke with Kathy for the first time on Wednesday, January 4, 2006. When I called, according to my notes, Kathy was immediately familiar with me, the dates I wished to book, as well as the services I wished to obtain. Apparently, she knew who I was because her colleague(s) had told her about my contact with 5 Chefs in her absence. I was surprised that she remembered me from merely her conversation with her colleague(s), which is why I made note of it. Nevertheless, the fact that Kathy and her colleague(s) were acutely aware of the services I wanted, and the dates on which I wanted those services performed, put me at ease. Kathy and I proceeded to discuss a rehearsal dinner menu consisting of ham, chicken, green beans, corn, drinks, and dessert at a price of approximately $15 per person ($17.50 per person if I substituted roast beef for one meat). I also spoke with Kathy about my wedding reception on December 30, 2006, during this phone call. Kathy told me that she made wedding cakes, but that she preferred not to be responsible for wedding cakes when she was also responsible for providing other foode.g., a mealfor a wedding reception. Kathy stated that if she was not going to make the wedding cake, then I would need to get someone to set up the cake because she would be busy with the other food. This led me to ask her about the prices associated with various menu selections for the wedding reception. Kathy asked if she could do some figuring and call me back, and I agreed. My final question to Kathy before the call ended concerned the deposit(s) necessary to book these events, i.e., what I should do to get my events on 5 Chefs' calendar so that I could rest assured that I would have 5 Chefs' facility and catering services on December 29 and 30, 2006. I asked Kathy the amount of the deposit(s) and told her that I intended to go ahead and mail a deposit to reserve December 29 and 30, 2006 for my events. Kathy told me not to send a deposit at that time because the dates I wanted to reserve were nearly a year away, because December is not a busy month for weddings, and finally because she had spoken with me, knew ''my'' dates, and would not undertake any other catering commitments for those dates.

When I had not heard from Kathy for several weeks (My cell phone bills confirm this as well. In fact, my phone bills for this time period show zero incoming calls from any number in Portland, Tennessee.), I placed a call to her on Friday, February 17, 2006. Pursuant to our previous conversation, I inquired as to the approximate price for various menu selections for my wedding reception on December 30, 2006. In submitting these menu options to Kathy, I relied on her statement in the previous phone call that she would make a wedding cake if that was the only item on the menu. Thus, I intended her response to reflect the general range of cost for the wedding reception itself as well as the ''going rate'' for a wedding cake, with the caveat that she would not be obligated to provide both hors d'oeuvres and a wedding cake, for example, unless she approved. Specifically, I asked Kathy about the approximate cost of the following for my guests: (1) a full meal; (2) hors d'oeuvres and wedding cake; (3) desserts and wedding cake; (4) wedding cake and punch; (5) any other arrangement that she was comfortable with or performed regularly. During this phone call, Kathy told me that she did not make wedding cakes, which directly contradicted what she had told me in the preceding phone call. Furthermore, she said that she suspected that I would have to have ''more than cake'' to have my wedding reception in the 5 Chefs facility. Kathy stated that she expected the owner to be in Monday morning, that she would ask the owner about the ''food requirements,'' and that she would call me and tell me what the owner said. Before our conversation ended, I asked her if I could send a deposit to reserve the services of 5 Chefs and its facility for December 29 and 30, 2006. She, yet again, insisted that she knew the dates I wanted and that it was unnecessary to send a deposit to reserve 5 Chefs' services and facilities.

I called Kathy during the late afternoon on Monday, February 20, 2006, when she neglected to timely return my phone call for the second time. During this phone call, Kathy told me that she had not spoken with the owner about the amount or type of food that I would be required to purchase. Kathy also informed me that she would not be able to provide catering services on December 30, 2006, because she had undertaken another catering obligation on that same date. She quickly pointed out, however, that she was still available and intended to provide her services for my rehearsal dinner on December 29, 2006. I asked Kathy if this meant that I could not have use of the 5 Chefs facility on December 30, 2006. Kathy replied that she was not sure. I commented that I had fallen in love with the facility and that I did not understand how this could happen because I did everything that she and her colleague(s) had told me to do to reserve the 5 Chefs facility and services for my events. Kathy told me that she would call the owner and ask the owner my two questions: (1) If I could still book the facility for December 30, 2006, even though Kathy's services were booked elsewhere; (2) What type or amount of food would be required to rent the 5 Chefs' facility and catering services. I reiterated, at this point, that I never intended to have only wedding cake and punch at my wedding reception. I expressed that, on the contrary, I had inquired as to catering service for wedding cake merely to have a point of reference for pricing purposes, solely because she made reference to the existence of such service in our January 4 phone call. Kathy stated that she would ask the owner both questions, nonetheless, and call me as soon as possible. I asked her when I could expect her phone call, and she stated that she would call me the next day because she was going to actually call the owner concerning my situation (as opposed to waiting to see the owner at 5 Chefs). Again, I asked if I could send a deposit to reserve the facility and services, at the very least, for the rehearsal dinner, if not for the facility for the wedding reception. Kathy said that she would put me on 5 Chefs' calendar for December 29, 2006, for the rehearsal dinner and that a deposit was still not necessary.

When Kathy neglected to timely return my phone call for the third time, I called her on Wednesday, February 22, 2006. This phone call lasted two minutes as she hurriedly told me that I would have to have ''more than cake'' at my wedding reception, that she would check to see if another caterer was available to cater the reception, and that she would call me to let me know her findings. At this point, I understood that I would have to have ''more than cake'' at my wedding reception to have the reception at 5 Chefs, which was no longer the unresolved issue. If there was an unresolved issue regarding cake, it was that I was never told exactly what constituted ''more than cake.'' Kathy also did not tell me if I could book the facility even though her services were no longer available, nor did she tell me the conditions or requirements of acquiring the services of another caterer for my wedding reception at 5 Chefs: Kathy merely said that she would contact some caterers to see if any were still available and that she would get back to me as soon as possible. Kathy did, however, tell me once again not to worry about sending a deposit.

I called Kathy on Monday, February 27, 2006, when she failed to timely return my phone call for the fourth time. This call lasted one minute. I asked Kathy if she had found any caterers available for December 30, 2006. Kathy responded that she had spoken with one person who was already booked, that she would ask some others, and that she would call me with some information as soon as possible.

Kathy had failed to call me for the fifth time when I stopped into 5 Chefs personally on Wednesday, March 8, 2006the very next time I was in the Nashville area after December 29, 2005. The owner, Jaska Russell, and Kathy happened to be standing at the cash register when I walked into 5 Chefs. I went in with my checkbook and asked if I could give them money to book December 29 and 30, 2006, for my rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. Of course, I was told initially that I was unable to book the facility for the reception because Kathy was already booked. Jaska said, "Well, you think you're getting an early start and someone beats you to it." I stated to Jaska that I had been calling 5 Chefs since the first week of January 2006, if not earlier (in fact, it was earlier), trying to book my events. I brought to her attention (1) that Kathy was not booked for either of my dates when I spoke with her in January and February 2006; (2) that Kathy told me that she would make wedding cakes under certain circumstances but, in our very next conversation, Kathy told me that she did not make wedding cakes at all; (3) that it was now March 8, 2006well over two months after my first phone call to book 5 Chefs' facility and services; (4) that I was assured that my events were booked; (5) that I still had no answers to the questions that I had repeatedly asked Kathy; (6) that I had offered several times to make a deposit; (7) that Kathy told me not to send a deposit because it was not necessary; (8) that I had relied on Kathy's word that she was available and willing to provide her services for both December 29 and 30, 2006; (9) that when Kathy broke her word she gave me further assurances that she would find someone to perform the catering services in her stead; (10) that I would pay whatever amount necessary at that moment to secure the 5 Chefs facility for December 29 and 30, 2006.

Jaska was open to allowing other caterers to cater within the 5 Chefs facility, if those caterers were in her ''loop,'' for lack of better terms (I was never told the specific people in this ''loop'' or what enabled a caterer to be in the ''loop'' of approved caterers.). Jaska did not know, however, what other caterers she could ask. Kathy told Jaska that she had spoken with one person (I was never told his or her name.), and that he or she was already booked. I was given the name of a caterer from someone in Portland, so I suggested that name. Jaska agreed that she would allow the person I suggested to cater my wedding reception in the 5 Chefs facility, but that she would add 10-20% of the caterer's total billed amount to the rental fee because that caterer was not in their "loop." Jaska and Kathy attempted to call one or two people, including the name I suggested, while I was there. Neither potential caterer answered the phone at that time. Jaska said that someone would get back to me as soon as they heard back from the one or two potential caterers that she and Kathy called. Before leaving, I issued a check as a deposit for the rehearsal dinner, hoping that it might encourage Jaska to work with me, especially given my, by now, desperate situation.

Jaska called me back on Thursday, March 9, 2006, and left me a voicemail. For some reason, the message was full of static, and I called Jaska back that evening and again on Friday, March 10, 2006, around noon because I would be unavailable for the rest of the day. Jaska told me that she talked with one potential caterer who was already booked and that the other potential caterer had not called her back. I asked Jaska if I could find my own caterer, given the situation. Jaska responded that she had a "million dollar building" and that she ''could not let just anyone come in'' and cater. I asked Jaska if she understood the severity of my situation at this point: that I had now lost almost three months of time because I had relied on the promises made by her establishment and that now at least three other caterers in Portland, Tennessee were (allegedly) booked on December 30, 2006. Jaska disclaimed any responsibility for my situation. Jaska also failed to offer, and expressed no desire to entertain, any further suggestions to remedy my situation, despite my overwhelmingly frustrating experience, which was no fault of my own.

I submit that my unfortunate situation may have come about because I somehow gave Kathy the impression, by asking about the price of wedding cake, that I could not spend very much money on my wedding reception. Perhaps Kathy thought that she could potentially make more money on someone else and that she was free to pursue such opportunities without recourse by declining my request to send a deposit but at the same time attempting to accommodate me, insofar as I knew anyway. Accordingly, she ''put me off,'' instructed me not to send a deposit, and booked herself as soon as another opportunity came along, even though she had full knowledge of my reliance on her services and my expectation that she would respect the dates that I had discussed with her at length. Because I was willing to comply with all the restrictions 5 Chefs placed upon my events after they had been finalized (as I was led to believe) and also because I took all initiative to get these events organized and make them a reality, the only reason I can fathom for 5 Chefs to engage in such discriminatory practices is that they perceived an inability to earn the profit they wanted or could otherwise potentially receive.

To remedy the situation, Jaska could have made a number of suggestions. She could have offered to rent me the facility for my wedding reception, excluding the use of the kitchen equipment. Jaska also could have offered to find another caterer (or permit me to supply my own caterer) in exchange for an increase in the facility rental fee in lieu of the increased risk to her "million dollar building" and equipment. At this increased rate, she could afford to pay someone $8 an hour (for example) to be present and to monitor the prospective caterer's use of her equipment. Neither of these possibilities nor anything else was an option. Jaska was very clear that she felt no obligation to bend over backwards for me, even though my reliance on the words and actions of her establishment has put my wedding planning almost three months behind schedule, not to mention making the experience of planning my own wedding a nightmare despite my early-start, organization, and compliance with everything 5 Chefs asked me to do.

I hope that the time and energy I have spent keeping notes and records as well as documenting this experience will save someone else from needlessly stressful wedding planning with a business that lacks motivation, dedication to its customers and its promises to its customers, honesty, and business savvy.

Miranda

Knoxville, Tennessee
U.S.A.