I ordered a catered lunch for an event in late June. I placed the order more than one week in advance. The first issue was that I gave clear instructions as to my needs. I got pushback from Afro Deli. I knew what I needed and why. I was willing to pay for what I needed and was asking for. If Afro Deli doesn't want customers to request extra sambusas that they are willing to pay for, say that. Tell customers that they are not allowed to request and pay for extra sambusas, put that information on the catering form, so that customers will know not to go there with you. There was no need for me to have get into a tug of war with Chef Moussa over whether he agreed with me that extra sambusas were necessary. If I, as the paying customer, say that they are necessary, then they are necessary. Yet Chef Moussa thought he knew more than I did and attempted to tell me what to order. I knew that Afro Deli's boxed lunches were not going to be enough food for the work meeting planned. That is why I requested extra sambusas. On top of that I did not get the amount of extras that I requested. That was a mistake on Afro Deli's part.
The next issue was the lack of communication in the days leading up to the catered lunch event. I followed up to make sure that certain items would not be in any of food due to food sensitives on the part of several meeting attendees. No response form Afro Deli/Chef Moussa. That was a mistake on Afro Deli's part.
The third semi-related issue was my catering ordering being excessively late, and the lack of forewarning or any communication about it. I was on the phone on hold for 20 minutes. I had a room full of people expecting lunch and lunch was nowhere to be found and Afro Deli and Chef Moussa were not responding to my phone call nor my message through the catering order portal. So far as I am concerned, three mistakes in a row and all three being avoidable, I am out. I will NEVER order anything from Afro Deli again. This was second and last catering order with them. The first catered lunch last month went smooth at $500. This second order at $700 was rocky from the start. As someone who self-identifies as BIPOC, when I try to support BIPOC-owned businesses, all I want and expect in return is professionalism in the form of good follow up communications, listening to what I need instead of telling me I need/or am going to get, and be on time (or at least let me know in advance of any delays). That was a mistake on Afro Deli's part.
In the end as the company that I work for was paying for this lunch, I did pay a tip on behalf of the company. It was not for the service or Afro Deli, it was for the workers who had no control over the mistakes made by Afro Deli owners e.g., Chef Moussa. I will never order catered lunches from Afro Deli again, nor will I go there or order from there personally. Afro Deli and Chef Moussa DO BETTER! You are BIPOC, you must represent BIPOC better than how you did. read more