A catering contract aimed at commemorating Black Heritage Month metamorphosed into a challenging ordeal for a Black-owned bakery situated in the South Bay earlier this month. Commencing as a promising $16,000 agreement, it ultimately resulted in substantial financial losses for the small business proprietor.
On Valentine’s Day, the proprietor of The Giving Pies, nestled in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood, received an enticing call from a Tesla representative: an opportunity to cater thousands of mini-pies for a Black History Month event.
Owner Voahangy Rasetarinera, who initiated the business from her home in 2017, recounts that both parties settled on a quote and executed an invoice for 4,000 pies slated for delivery this week.
Due to the exigent timeframe, Rasetarinera enlisted her staff for additional hours, procured ingredients and packaging supplies, and turned down at least three other catering offers. However, merely two days after securing the Tesla contract, the bakery proprietor received a succinct text message terminating the order.
“It felt like we didn’t matter,” expressed Rasetarinera. “It felt like, ‘OK, it’s no big deal, it’s just a business transaction that didn’t pan out.’ But it’s not like that. I had to tell my staff to change your plans.”
Rasetarinera asserts that she has undertaken similar large-scale assignments in the past without incident, catering to events such as weddings and corporations like Google, Apple, and Adobe. While she maintains a cancellation policy, the absence of payment from Tesla renders it impossible to recuperate expenses incurred.
NBC Bay Area reached out to Tesla seeking clarification on the circumstances surrounding the aborted catering agreement and inquiring whether the company intends to reimburse the bakery for its time and expenses. A Tesla spokesperson declined to address the specific queries but informed NBC Bay Area that they have been in communication with Rasetarinera.
