Sat Dinner feedback/suggestions

[amrehm]

At our table of 6, the food was excellent. Best food I've had in the area except Kevins in N Bennington.

I dont think they were expecting as many people that showed up. There needs to be a way to give the facility an accurate head count so they can prepare. Even a buffet wont work if they are expecting 50 & get 150. the staff did a great job for what was thrown at them.

Maybe a limited menu - 3-5 entrees - beef, chicken, fish, pasta, etc. You pick one & get a side salad & a side dish for a flat rate. Like you do for a wedding reception. Drinks could be ala carte.

Not sure I have the answer, but it should be disussed.

I think this years dinner beat the previous years hands down.

The band was always a nice touch, but after the evening was over, I didn't really miss it. Got to socialize more.

Alan

[mark]

The number of people who showed up took us all by surprise. Unfortunately getting an accurate headcount is essentially impossible with our type of event. Unless we go mainstream and make people register and pay in advance (which I think defeats the whole purpose of the BTB), we won't know how many people are going to show up until they actually do.

I think Bennington Station was an excellent choice. Those of us who arrived and ordered early got our food in a timely fashion, and it was outstanding. Unfortunately, once swamped with orders, it's obviously impossible for the kitchen to keep up. The same would happen at any restaurant. I think the staff did an excellent job under the circumstances.

I've already emailed the owner to see if he'll have us back next year, and what would work best for him -- a buffet, a limited menu, or something else.

As for other possible venues, our choices are severely limited. Bennington is a small town with a correspondingly small selection of restaurants. Renting a hall somewhere is not an option because we have no budget with which to rent the space and bring in a caterer.

Also bear in mind, this was the first year we've actually had a cohesive Saturday dinner. The previous restaurant wouldn't do jack shit for us despite the number of people we were bringing in -- they just treated us as part of the regular Saturday crowd, made us wait in line, and scattered us all over the restaurant. As a result, at least half our people would leave and go to other area restaurants. Since this was the first time we've all been together in one place, I look at it as a trial run, and we learned a lot for next year.

And by the way, I agree with Alan about the band. With music, it's too difficult to please everyone, and it makes it nearly impossible to socialize and have a conversation. Not having a band this year made it a lot easier to just hang out -- not to mention, Tito and Robin didn't have to fight for time for the door prize giveaways this year. Last year the band that we didn't even hire made us get off the stage at our own damn event.

--mark

[TonUp]

We are on it!

Like Mark said our 1st year with someone who wants to work with us! It will be much better next year! The BUFFET idea will work, say dinner at 7pm.


Tito



Ton Up

[jefff1]

Do a nice buffet at the Bennington Station just like many functions we all go to each year...wedding..business gatherings etc...everyone can eat within 30 minutes and have a great dinner too...Plenty of time for fun and socialziing afterwards

[b_mason]

Well I have several people who have or work currently in the food service buisness where I work. When I came back to work the first thing I told them was about the dinner beingan open menu. Not only were they shocked that they would have an open menu, they were surprised that the didn't bring in more staff sooner to help.

The suggestions from them are:

Make it a buffet style with three main dishes, utilize bus boys/girls to man the buffet. Use the waitresses for drinks and cleaning tables.

Or:

Limit the menu to 3 main course meals that can cook fairly quickly with sides and desserts.

Either way the resulting onslaught of BTB attendees will not overload the staff to the point of system failure.

On a good note: Their beer selectio was very good although they ran out of shock top before I was able to get one. I loved the beer discription menu. The the light and dark beers were on the wrong side. The backwards menu did make me order the kona, which I loved!

[LoVel]

Don't forget a vegetarian option if possible. Not everybody eats cow,carp, and bird.

[b_mason]

Don't forget a vegetarian option if possible. Not everybody eats cow,carp, and bird.

True, True, True!! I find that my diet is changing since I'm running more. Vegetarian is on the menu more now.

Lets get more input of ideas so we can approach the station with a solid game plan for them to review or tell us to piss off.

[Shytown]

the food was good, but we had to wait over 2 hours for a HAMBURGER!
And then the wait for a Beer minimum 20 minutes, it was a successful night for you all, and pretty well organized as far as door prizes and such, thanks again, but next year there will need to be more orginazation from the resturant for me to participate in another such gathering, just my .02 cents.

[tigerwilbury]

I'm with Jeff....buffet like any wedding or large party would require. Maybe at the Friday meet and greet get a feel for who might be planning on going...and follow up on that at the group ride Saturday morning. Let the Bennington Station know to the best of your knowledge what to expect after talking to the masses. A rough idea is better than no idea. JMHO.

[mark]

That was actually the plan this year -- but we still exceeded the estimates substantially. Based on the numbers Friday evening and Saturday morning, I was guesstimating we'd have about 75 people at the dinner Saturday. I was wrong.

--mark

[LoVel]

the food was good, but we had to wait over 2 hours for a HAMBURGER!
And then the wait for a Beer minimum 20 minutes, it was a successful night for you all, and pretty well organized as far as door prizes and such, thanks again, but next year there will need to be more orginazation from the resturant for me to participate in another such gathering, just my .02 cents.

You just didn't work it right. I told the manager I would take whatever beer he had in the tap right in front of him because I missed him when he went so far away. He gave me those two beers on the house.

[b_mason]

the food was good, but we had to wait over 2 hours for a HAMBURGER!
And then the wait for a Beer minimum 20 minutes, it was a successful night for you all, and pretty well organized as far as door prizes and such, thanks again, but next year there will need to be more orginazation from the resturant for me to participate in another such gathering, just my .02 cents.

You just didn't work it right. I told the manager I would take whatever beer he had in the tap right in front of him because I missed him when he went so far away. He gave me those two beers on the house.

They went out of their way in trying to offset the frustration level. The manage paid for my appitizer and a beer for me.

The hard thing is they really need to know the number of people coming so they can make the right amout of food.

Mark, You shall be tied to a stake and lashed till the flesh is rendered from your bones!!!!!!

Has the reasturant sent any emails or calls out to let us know of what will work best for them?

[TonUp]

the food was good, but we had to wait over 2 hours for a HAMBURGER!
And then the wait for a Beer minimum 20 minutes, it was a successful night for you all, and pretty well organized as far as door prizes and such, thanks again, but next year there will need to be more orginazation from the resturant for me to participate in another such gathering, just my .02 cents.

You just didn't work it right. I told the manager I would take whatever beer he had in the tap right in front of him because I missed him when he went so far away. He gave me those two beers on the house.

They went out of their way in trying to offset the frustration level. The manage paid for my appitizer and a beer for me.

The hard thing is they really need to know the number of people coming so they can make the right amout of food.

Mark, You shall be tied to a stake and lashed till the flesh is rendered from your bones!!!!!!

Has the reasturant sent any emails or calls out to let us know of what will work best for them?

Not Yet!


Hi All!

We will make it better!


But we will deal with the restaurant the same way we did the BBQ, BUFFET style at 7pm, and more bartenders!


Tito

Ton Up

[mark]

What Tito said.

I've got an email in to the restaurant, but haven't heard back yet.

--mark

[mark]

Hey everyone -- the Saturday dinner will once again be at the Bennington Station this year. But we're going to work things out a little differently. Instead of having everyone just order off the menu, we'll either do a buffet or a set menu (still working that out). That should make things easier for everyone.

Bob Andrew, the chef/owner of the Bennington Station, was happy with us as a group, with one notable exception: somebody apparently put their hand in the salad bar and threw food all over the floor. If anyone witnesses that sort of behavior this year, please call the person out on it, and/or bring it to my, Tito's, or Robin's attention. That sort of behavior is thoroughly uncalled for and makes us all look bad.

--mark