I hired Chef Chris Tzorin of Taste Collective Food Truck for a community/neighborhood event with approximately 70 RSVP'd attendees, and a confirmed total cost of $1,450. Early communication was strong--Chris was excited about the booking, attentive, and responsive. He promptly returned my calls after I texted, and after we confirmed the date and time, he requested a $150 deposit via Venmo, which I paid.
As the event date approached, communication broke down. Texts went unanswered. About one week before the event, Chris finally called to say his truck had been in an accident and that the booking was "up in the air." He asked for a few more days to try to make it work and said he would call with an update. He never did.
With 70 people expecting food and no reliable confirmation, I could not risk going without a vendor. I texted him to cancel and requested a refund of the $150 deposit. Chris replied the next day asking for more time; I explained that was not possible because I needed to secure a replacement immediately. Since then, I have sent multiple follow-up texts and emails requesting the Venmo refund. There has been no response and no refund.
I was ultimately able to book another food truck for the event. While the initial interactions were professional, the lack of follow-through after the reported accident, the failure to provide a timely update, and the ongoing refusal to return the deposit left me scrambling one week out and out $150 with no service provided.
I've also seen claims that Chris has supposedly "found God" and is in a much better place than he was in the past. It's hard to reconcile that with keeping a customer's deposit and then ignoring repeated requests for a refund. Finding God and refusing to return money you didn't earn don't go together.
I cannot recommend Taste Collective / Chef Chris Tzorin for events that require dependable communication and clear financial accountability. read more