My one and only child (daughter) was getting married and we contacted several chefs to cater the wedding.
We chose Big City Chefs since they were willing to do the type of food we wanted and also do the cake.
After a contract was signed and they were paid in full for the whole amount they called us two weeks before the wedding and cancelled the part of the catering for the food.
They cancelled because they did not want to furnish a copy of their worker comp certificate that was required by the place where the reception was taking place.
My daughter and I had to scramble to find another caterer. My daughter really wanted the cake that Big City Chefs was doing so we had a long talk with Tom at Big City.
He then promised us that they would do the cake and there would be no problem since all they had to do is make the cake and deliver and set up. The other caterer was going to cut it for us. He sent me another contract and it was signed by him and me.
I was thinking all was OK until 10 minutes before the reception we arrived and I was told the cake was not there. We looked everywhere. I called Tom at Big City and he got ahold Chef Tracee Williams and she said that she delivered it and she did not know where it was. There was several times that she supposedly delivered it and a couple of places that she described that she left it. Never once did she come back to help us although we were told that "she is on her way".
A lady showed up claiming that she was Tom's mother and she took up a total of 3 hours of my tme the caterer's time and the maintainance personel's time looking for the "mystery" cake.
They claimed that we must have thrown away the cake by accident ot the maintainance personel must have thrown away the cake by accident.
Number 1 they were contracted to make, deliver and set up the cake not to deliver it in a box for me to set up. Number 2 why would I throw away my one and only child's wedding cake.
The "mother" of Tom also insisted that we go thru the trash. The maintance personel did this despite my telling him that if they wanted the trash to be looked thru then they are welcomed to do so but we were not going to do this.
As of this day, one week post my daughter's wedding Tom has yet to return my call. He has sent two emails, one very scathing one about Preservation Park the reception site. The other to say that they are still very confused to the where about of the cake. They are suppose to refund my money but it has yet to be credited to my account. The amount for the catering part has been refunded.
Another point is that in all other correspondance Tom has never signed his name as Thomas C. Stieber, Esq. But since the incident he is now signing his name as Tom Stieber, Esq.
I have checked with the State Bar for California and if it is the same person he is NO longer licensed in California. It has to be the same person because it is the same phone number.
Any help you can give me will be appreciated. I do not want this to happen to anyone else. This made for a very sad day for my daughter, her husband, my husband and I.
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