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November was quite exciting for Chocolate Cascade, and how appropriate that Thanksgiving Day came right at a time when we had so much for which to be thankful. We are still the "new kid on the block" but the "new kid" has at least been noticed.
We started the month off by being asked to present the Chocolate Cascade Fountain at the Country Music Association Awards Banquet on November 4th.in Nashville, TN. The whole staff was invited to spend the afternoon at the rehearsal for the CMA awards broadcast, and we were very appreciative because we knew that preparations for the banquet would not allow for us to watch the show that night on television. And what a banquet it was! There were 1,800 people confirmed to attend the banquet, so we arranged to take two medium sized fountains, and an estimated 100 lbs. of chocolate - thank goodness we bumped the quantity up "just in case"! It was held at the Opryland Hotel in the Presidential Ballroom and Portico, and 2,300+ people had a time to remember. The food, the music, and the atmosphere were grand, but the hit of the evening was definitely the fountains. They ran nonstop, and the response and reaction was fantastic. Most had never seen a Chocolate Cascade Fountain before, and we were sorry as the night went on that we didn't have a third fountain with us. What a night!!
During a call I received yesterday from the CMA Event Planner she said that she can still see it, smell it, and taste that wonderful, warm chocolate - and all she got to try was one simple marshmallow! We look forward to working with her again - talk about a fun job!!
Special thanks to Shannon (the Event Planner), Peggy (the "magician" at Opryland Hotel), and to all of the chefs and servers at the hotel for helping us make the fountains the center of attention.
Best wishes for your continued business
success.
Donna Richey, RSM
December did not come and go quietly, and "busy" does not quite describe the pace for all of the Chocolate Cascade personnel. We take our commitment to excellent customer service seriously, and we include potential customers on that list, and even just the down right curious! That can take up a good part of your day just spending time on the telephone answering questions, and certainly that's what we did for a good part of the first two weeks.
Guests that had been at the Country Music Awards banquet last month started calling just to find out a little more about these "little beauties", and we even got calls from "a friend of a friend" that told them about the fountain. The problem is though, trying to explain how people react to the fountain can make for a long phone call, and you end up coming up short. We just can't describe how mesmerizing the fountain is, nor how guests become enthralled when they see it for the first time. The reaction is really indescribable - they just have to see it for themselves.
Don't get me wrong, we're not complaining about the time spent on the phone, because we believe what goes around, comes around. Sure enough, what "came around" the middle of the month was a new customer, Utah Food Services, and I'll just let Jim Davis tell you the "rest of the story"…
"Wow, what a great idea. Thanks
so much! We used the fountains during the Utah State Governor's Mansion
Christmas Receptions. What a big hit. We had an impressive spread of food
for the guests, but the table that got the most attention was the Chocolate
Fountain table. We had fresh fruit including marshmallows for guests to
skewer and stick into the flowing walls of chocolate. The First Lady
of Utah was so impressed by the comments from her guests and how much
fun they were having that she requested it again for the following weeks
reception. And I think she was having the most fun as she brought guest
after guest up to see the fountain. Thanks again!"
Jim Davis
Director of Sales
Utah Food Services
What great people there are at Utah Food Services! We really enjoyed the communication, the sense of humor they have and the "thank you" they sent our way. To them, and to all of our customers (and potential ones)……
Best wishes for your continued business success.
Donna R. Richey, RSM
A new year already! We did get to spend some quality time with our families and friends over the holidays, and we certainly hope your holiday season was just as happy and filled with love. I'm sure we all will be looking back on that respite with yearning soon, because you know what's about to start - Wedding Season!! I read somewhere that sales of Valium double this time of year, and it's a toss-up between brides-to-be and wedding planners as to which need it more!
We have been doing all we can to help ease the stress load for our customers by continuing to provide excellent customer service, and expediting delivery as much as humanly possible. We got the extra mile for all of our customers, but smaller businesses sometimes get a little extra helping hand - we know full well what it's like to have a dream, some ideas, a few bucks, and not much more. We've had the pleasure of talking with quite a few individuals that are perfect examples of the entrepreneurial spirit, which is still alive and thriving in the United States today. Contrary to newspaper reports, stock market indicators, terrorist threats, and gloom and doomsayers, we hear the true spirit of America everyday, and it's filled with hope and making plans for the future. We're proud to have our name associated with the "little guys and gals", and look forward to our future chats with many more.
And for all those that have a dream that keeps getting stepped on by the "It will never work" crowd, or held back by the "Not in today's economy" mantra, here's a little bit of inspiration:
"There once was a man said it couldn't be done,
and he, with a chuckle, replied
that "Maybe it couldn't" but he would be one
that wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin
on his face - if he worried, he hid it
and he started to sing as he tackled the thing
that "couldn't be done", and he did it!
Author Unknown
(but drummed into my psyche, from the age of understanding, by my dear
mother. Thank you mom!)
Best wishes for your continued business success!
Donna R. Richey, RSM
We also allow for ease of ordering and payment through secure servers on our websites or by phone using our toll free "800" number.
We sell worldwide, and we look forward to adding you to our list of
"The World's Most Innovative Caterers."
Are you ready to "Indulge Your Passion"?
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