Long story! Please please please read and share!!
Hey everyone I wanted to warn everyone about this unprofessional "hibachi chef" and share my horrible experience with him. I'm sharing this to help avoid anyone else going through this. I hired him for my birthday event, on 3/21 I sent him a deposit to secure the date to ensure my booking. My event was set for April 1st at 5 pm in Moreno Valley. I spoke to him over the phone Friday 3/31 to go over everything for the day of my event. The agreement was for him to arrive at 4 o'clock latest 430 to set up and be ready to cook at 5 PM the day of my event around 4:25 pm I text him asking him his ETA? At 4:34 he responded, informing me that there was an accident on the 215 that his server and cook were involved in. Which was confusing because this entire time he said he was the chef and I thought I hired him he NEVER mentioned anyone else he then proceeded to ask me if I can move my event for a later time and that he currently was working on picking up the equipment and another person to help him take the stuff to my event. He told me that he will call me. Which he didn't I had to call him after waiting 20 minutes. At 4:44 I asked him did he think he could be ready to start cooking at 7 pm he said "YES" and told me he was picking up the stuff now and he would head to my event. He arrives at 5:58 with only the decor set up. He proceeds to set up everything. Then he informs me that it will only be 20 minutes as he has to go pick up his server in Moreno Valley that he was wrapping up and finishing up at another event and the equipment. By this time it's 6:18 pm so I'm still hopeful that he will arrive and start cooking at 7 pm. 7 pm comes and goes and now it's 7:27 and I ask for his ETA and he tells me he's in COLTON picking up the "chef" at this point I'm confused as I thought he was the chef and I was told he was picking up the equipment and server? I ask again what is the ETA his response was "I'll let you know when I'm on the way" EXCUSE ME!? no unacceptable at this point I'm so disappointed, mad, frustrated and upset. Then he said "I'll be back at 8:30!" At this point he's 4 hours late to my event I have 20 plus hungry guest waiting to eat, I told him sr 8:30 is the final time if you can't make it at this point that's it we've waited way past start time and it's not fair to any of us. He text me back "okay" well 8:34 came and I texted him to refund me my deposit and that his service was no longer needed again his response "okay" he arrived at 8:48 to pick up his stuff 12 minutes after canceling him with no equipment no nothing!! Myself and my guest ended up going to a taco truck stand to eat after 5 hours of waiting and being told lies! Because I later found out he was doing another event ! I was told by a young lady whom works at the Hibachi Empire food truck in Moreno Valley next to the taco truck me and my guest ordered from after sharing my horrific experience with her she shares with me that he was one of the owners of the "Hibachi Empire Company " and she 100% knows that he had events all day. So did he over book himself ? Idk and honestly don't care at this point. I don't believe there was any accident I don't believe any of the lies told by him. He is untrustworthy, unreliable and unprofessional. His apologize was not sincere, nor did he do anything but refund me my deposit to make it right. He could've just been honest from the beginning and said he couldn't make it instead of making me believe that he was. I will add all screenshots of our conversations plus his Instagram and Facebook. read more