"Not Delicious and Upscale Comfort Food"
Danita Wilkinson
Baltimore, MD
March 16, 2011
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Autumn’s Custom Catering & Event Planning, LLC Attn: Claudine Johnson-Eaddy 5703-G Water Birch Court Henrico, VA 23255-1761 Autumn’s Custom Catering & Event Planning, LLC Attn: Claudine Johnson-Eaddy P.O. Box 70452 Henrico, VA 23255 RE: Wilkinson Family Reunion – August 14, 2010 Dear Ms. Johnson, This letter is being written to express the extreme dissatisfaction of the food services provided to my family by Autumn’s Custom Catering & Event Planning, LLC, on Saturday, August 14, 2010. As one “Black Business Woman” to another “Black Business Woman,” I was truly disappointed and appalled by the food and services provided under our contract for the monies paid to your company by my family in the amount of One Thousand Six Hundred Sixteen Dollars and Twenty Cents ($1,616.20). I am in receipt of your E-mail dated August 16, 2010, and, yes, “My Family” enjoyed themselves, but, again, disappointed with the food provided. The check you issued me on Saturday for the “shortness of fish,” in the amount of One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) did not make me feel comfortable with your services – and is now being held as proof of breach of contract on the part of Autumn’s Custom Catering & Event Planning, LLC. Also this amount is now not satisfactory due to the egregiousness regarding the rest of the Menu. It is assumed that most items were purchased at wholesale from “Murry’s Steak, Inc.” and not freshly hand prepared as advertised. The Complaint(s) are as follows: Autumn’s Promised: “We provide delicious, upscale comfort food, while priding ourselves at being one of Richmond, Va’s, most affordable caterers. Our custom menus offer fresh, and often local ingredients that are hand prepared, and can be tailored to meet your exact needs.” Requested & Paid For Comment Received Beef Hot Dogs To be grilled at YMCA Pork Hot Dogs from Murry’s Steak, Inc. Chicken Hot Dogs To be grilled at YMCA Provided 1 package of 8-12 Inadequate Amount – Not an amount for 81 persons Beef Hamburgers To be grilled at YMCA ? Beef Hamburger Patties from Murry’s Steak, Inc. Turkey Burgers To be grilled at YMCA None Provided Veggie Burger Patties from Murry’s Steak, Inc. Slow Roasted BBQ Pork Ribs To be grilled at YMCA Pork Ribs were not cooked through (pot boiled) prior to barbequing - therefore they were tougher to eat. The sauce was fine but the meat was not cooked Inadequate Amount – Not an amount for 81 persons Caribbean Jerk Chicken To be grilled at YMCA Jerk seasoning was NOT used on Chicken. In fact it was barely seasoned at all. Except for a little barbecue sauce, there was barely a difference between the two chickens served Already Prepared and Cooked BBQ Chicken To be grilled at YMCA Already Prepared and Cooked Crispy Fried Whiting Fish portions were cut in half therefore portions were smaller which means that there was only enough fish to feed approximately 15-20 persons and less if left whole Inadequate Amount – Not an amount for 81 persons Grilled Jumbo Shrimp To be grilled at YMCA Shrimp were not JUMBO. They were of small to medium count shrimp which means they were in bags frozen and then steamed Inadequate Amount – Not an amount for 81 persons Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes Casserole Rather Sugarless Prepared from “Canned Sweet Potatoes” BBQ Baked Beans Navy Beans in a Sauce Corn on the Cob Not Fresh Corn Bagged Frozen Corn from Murry’s Steak Collard Greens Not Cleaned – “Gritty “ Wasted 2 Pans because NOT Eaten Country Green Beans Not Fresh Green Beans Prepared from “Canned Green Beans” Potato Salad Mayonnaise was grainy Not Fresh – Store-bought in Container Rice & Peas (Tray) No Peas Excessive Amount in 2 Full Pans of Rice/Beans Broccoli (Half Tray) ? Tossed Garden Salad Not Fresh Prepared from “Bagged Salad Mix” Country Cornbread Not Hand-prepared Prepared from “Jiffy/Box Mix” Seasonal Fresh Cut Fruit Salad ? Sweet Tea Watered Down w/ small amount of Sugar Unsweetened Tea Watered Down Autumn’s Promised: “SERVICES AND AMENITIES INCLUDED customized menu for your event professional event coordinators and chefs delivery and set-up of catering items clear plastic china and silverware” Other Complaints: (1) Ms. Johnson was briefly present for a few minutes around Noon, and 4:00 p.m. - absent the entire Event when her email stated: “Are you looking to have lunch served at 11 am? Perhaps I misunderstood; I thought you wanted us to arrive at 11. if you would like lunch earlier, please let me know. We can arrive at 8 or 9 and then have food ready by 11”. (2) Additionally, we had agreed that hotdogs and hamburgers would be ready and served by 11:00am. Charcoal for the grills did not even arrive until 11:30 a.m. Diabetics, children, as well as, eighty and ninety year-olds were HUNGRY. Ms. Johnson’s lack of planning threw everything off schedule for an event whose family members had come from as far as Boston, Nashville, Atlanta, and even the Virgin Islands. (3) Ms. Johnson did not have layout and instructions for Staff at 9:00 a.m. to begin or during any part of the Event. (4) No “Lighter Fluid” – had to be purchased (5) No “Napkins” during service – had to be purchased (6) Inadequate amount of clear plastic china and silverware for 81 persons (7) Most of the “Grilled” Food was Over “Grilled” At this time Ms. Johnson, my family is seeking a refund for Eight Hundred Eight Dollars and Ten Cents ($808.10) – half the amount which was initially paid your company (“Autumn’s”) as settlement amount for your breach of contract. You can make check/money order payable to “Danita G. Wilkinson” or “DGW & Associates, Inc.,” and mail to the address on this letterhead. Once I have received same – I will return to you the check in the amount of $150.00 – for “shortness of fish.” If the check in the amount of $808.10, is not received by Tuesday, August 31, 2010, I will instruct our Attorney, Joe Lewis, to file a lawsuit with the Small Claims Division of the General District Court for the Commonwealth of Virginia against you and your company for the full amount disbursed plus attorney fees and court costs. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Respectfully submitted, Danita G. Wilkinson cc: Joseph Lewis, Attorney, P.C. w/ Encl.
This is the subjective opinion of an independent reviewer and not of Decidio, Inc.