Catered by Design

9204 Waukegan Rd, Morton Grove, IL 60053, USA

Address:	9204 Waukegan Rd, Morton Grove, IL 60053, USA
Phone:	+1 847-965-4094
Site:	cateredbydesign.com
Rating:	3.9
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM Closed Closed

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Anonymous User

Catered by Design would be absolutely flawless if not for Events Manager, Karen Paszkiewicz. We had our wedding and reception at the Winnetka Community House. The Garden is so beautiful, we hardly needed decorations and at night with the twinkle lights in the trees, it was even more magical. The reception room shaped up very nicely with the addition of centerpieces. The french doors on the south wall let in the cool night air as we were dancing. We opted for using the getting ready rooms upstairs, which was nice because we could overlook the garden as everything was being set up and guests arrived. They even put chairs and a full-length mirror in the room for us. So, you say, sounds perfect right? Well, only because of our group was so on top of things. Karen consistantly proved that she was not trustworthy. In the months before the event, she could never send me a correct event order/invoice. She would always add items on and when I (happily and politely) would send her an e-mail saying that it looked good other than A,B, and C were not as we discussed. She would write a snippy response and send me a new, incorrect invoice with more add ons and ambiguous charges. When I asked her to break down a $3000 boutique linen charge (we only asked for floor length table cloths), we found not only things we did not ask for, but also poor math. Also, be very diligent to check her against your original contract/discussion. Some of the problems we found in the invoices were charging $3 instead of $2 per chair for the ceremony, $3.50 vs. $2 pp per 1/2 hour for additional bar time, telling us we had to be out by 10:30pm when our event hours were 5-11pm. These are all items that were clearly outlined in our first contract. Beyond these items, Karen was very rude and inconsiderate. She called me once (a month before the wedding) and told me that there was another wedding booked that morning and it ran til 3pm, our ceremony started at 5pm. Also, because we still didnt have a final contract THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING we had a scheduled meeting at 2pm. My parents and I arrived ready to just sign whatever and give her the money, only to find a note on her door "Had to leave, Ill call you later". She did call later, 4:37pm on our way out the door to the rehearsal (which we had to reserve through her, so she was perfectly aware of what she was doing). When I appologized and told her that I couldnt talk because I had guests at my house and we were running out the door to the rehearsal, she snipped "Fine!" and hung up on me! My dad had to go straighten things out with her the morning of the wedding. The afternoon of the wedding, I was told, Karen did nothing to help. I had 2 attendants and they had to recruite a group of 10 family members and friends to help set up and keep the day moving. Karen, wearing a completely too short skirt, was giving tours to new potential customers. I hope they know what theyre getting into!

Anonymous User

I am the Sales and Marketing Coordinator for a small company who strives to make a big impact with a lasting positive impression and we could not have done so without Catered By Designs assistance. Planning an event is always complex, and even more so when the event is nearly 3,000 miles away. The attention to detail and ability to surpass our expectations was remarkable. Sams assistance coordinating that distance in a space with no exact dimensions or square walls, that had never before hosted a catered dinner (103rd floor with glass ledges at the SkyDeck) was key to our events success. Sam went to the space, months in advance on multiple occasions to measure each wall, photograph every angle, and then meet several times before an event to hash out the final spacing, developing several floor plans, centerpieces and magnificent desert and bar displays, and also customized an already expansive menu selection. I sincerely appreciate their flexibility with scheduling, assistance coordinating with venue management, and the fantastic creative vision and ability to perfect every last detail in a newly opened space with special security measures (combined with the maneuvering of blindfolded guests through 103 maze-like floors!). Sam also provided some photography for the event which was a nice memento to pass along to our guests. On top of these extras, the cuisine, the atmosphere and the service were superb. The entire staff at Catered by Design was friendly, prompt and helpful. I cannot exaggerate the last minute preparation and added details they were provided with, only to deliver a phenomenal experience for our guests. We want to provide an evening our guests will not forget and fortunately we received numerous compliments on the food, set up, design, venue, service, and cohesiveness, style and taste - most of which are thanks to CBD. The overall flexibility, organization and talented staff really speak for themselves and its no wonder we received a recommendation from the SkyDeck in the first place. If a potential customer is looking for elegance, a delicious, attractively prepared custom menu combined with over-the-top service, they should look no further. Unfortunately, we dont have any events scheduled in the Chicago area, but you can be assured that if we ever venture back we would be eager to work with Catered by Design again.

Susie Kim

My husband and I only had four months to plan our August wedding. We happened by chance to consider renting the affordable Glenview Park District building to use the lake as a backdrop for our ceremony. Catered by Design is their exclusive caterer but we couldn’t have chosen better. We were lucky to work with owner Sam Gray, who kindly met with us a couple times to ensure we could have the wedding we wanted. He was cordial, helpful, and patient from the beginning. He listened to our preferences and never tried to steer us in any other direction or to “up sell” anything. His integrity and pride in his company made us feel safe and happy in our choice of venue and caterer. Our wedding day turned out to be rainy and stormy but as it cleared up in the afternoon, Sam worked with my husband to help us keep the outdoor ceremony we preferred. It was splendid and I was truly in awe when I arrived. His service staff was also excellent. Of course my groom and I were kind of stunned and not paying attention to the timing of things, so server captain Laura gently reminded us to cut cake, start dancing, etc., so we wouldn’t fall too far behind. She even helped to keep an eye on my dog who was outside the wedding on the patio. Our families were really impressed by her professional and helpful manner. The servers were also attentive but unobtrusive, quietly keeping things running smoothly. The bar was ready for great service throughout cocktail hour and reception. The food was beautiful and came out at just the right times, and they even saved hors doeuvres from the cocktail hour for the busy bridal party! What can I say? Sam and his staff truly catered to the design of what we wanted for our wedding day. We did not hire a wedding planner but thanks to CBD we didn’t really need to. It speaks volume of the staff that there really isn’t a thing we would change about the day that we had and I’m so thankful to have worked with such a great catering team!

Tony Weyers

We recently had the pleasure of using Catered by Design for our wedding at the Redfield Estate in Glenview, and could not be more pleased. First, every one of the guests we spoke with - literally, EVERYONE - complimented each and every element of the Catered by Design performance. The food was certainly the most-mentioned star, but the professionalism and hustle of the staff was pointed out by many of our attendees. Personally, working with with Nikee (Event coordinator), Wanda (on-site Captain) and Karen (lead bartender) and everyone else I was able to meet was simple for me. They were quick with answers to my questions, solutions to my requests, and their smiles never faded. There were no complaints or sour faces or frustrations evident on anyone - despite the downpours during setup and the heat of the day. So...we HIGHLY recommend!