When we first met with Tom, everything sounded great. We were assured there would be easels available, and although he mentioned the projector screen was "a little broken," he told us it wouldn't be a problem to pull it down and play our memorial video. We also thought paying in cash was a nice gesture since he gave us a small discount.
Unfortunately, once the payment was made, everything changed.
It became nearly impossible to get in touch with Tom. We made several phone calls and even drove to the banquet hall looking for him, but he was never available. Every time we needed him, we were told he was "in a meeting," and when we needed him most at the end of the event, we were told he had already left.
A few days before the memorial luncheon, we requested an Old Fashioned as our signature drink. The bartender blamed Tom for not communicating the recipe, and Tom blamed the bartender. Regardless of who was responsible, the drink was made incorrectly.
Our contract stated we had the room from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with the bar open from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Instead, the bar didn't open until nearly noon and closed around 2:30 p.m. We also paid for coffee, tea, soda, and water to be included, yet the bartender began charging our guests $1 per can of soda because Tom had switched from fountain drinks to canned soda. We had to step in and correct the situation ourselves.
Another disappointment was how disorganized everything was. Our contract was handwritten on the back of a menu. When we asked for the easels we had been promised, no one knew where they were. By the time they were finally found, our event had already started. We were also told the projector screen was broken that day and that we'd have to use a portable screen. Thankfully, we remembered Tom had previously shown us how to pull the screen down ourselves, and it worked just fine.
The food was actually good. We had chicken, mostaccioli, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and salad. It was exactly what you'd expect from a banquet hall, and we have no complaints about the meal.
The biggest disappointment was how our memorial luncheon ended. We understood another event was scheduled that evening, and Tom had told us that sometimes events are booked the same day. That wasn't the issue.
The issue was that staff began tearing down our room between 2:00 and 2:30 p.m., even though we had paid to use it until 4:00 p.m. Around the same time, guests from the evening event began bringing their decorations and supplies into the room during our memorial service. We were essentially pushed out by 3:30 p.m.—a full 30 minutes before our contracted end time. One of our guests was even told they couldn't have another cup of coffee at 3:30, despite coffee service being included.
Before leaving, we wanted to review our bar tab and discuss everything that had happened with Tom. Once again, he was nowhere to be found. We were told he had already left the building.
This was a memorial luncheon for someone we loved. We expected compassion, professionalism, and organization. Instead, it felt like once our payment was collected, customer service disappeared. Promises weren't kept, communication was poor, the bartender admitted they had been hired at the last minute, the bar opened late and closed early, and many of the details we had discussed simply weren't delivered.
The difference between what was promised during our initial meeting and what actually happened was incredibly disappointing. While the food was good, it couldn't make up for the lack of organization, poor communication, and being rushed out of a room we had paid to use.
If you're looking for a venue for an important life event—especially something as meaningful as a memorial service—I would not recommend this banquet hall. The unnecessary stress, broken promises, and lack of professionalism overshadowed what should have been a day focused on honoring our loved one.