Organizers of a first-ever Columbus food and wine festival that left many guests without food say they’ve issued refunds to attendees who went hungry.
Saucebox, which took place Oct. 12, was billed by its creators as “a love letter to the city of Columbus and its diners” and attracted 23 food vendors, including noted local restaurants such as Veritas, Metsi’s, Rooh, Barcelona, Chouette and the recently opened Isla.
But people who purchased $75 tickets on the promise of unlimited food tastings and 10 wine pours say much of the food was gone about two hours into the five-hour event.
Restaurant owners and chefs say they were told to prepare 500 to 600 small portions of their dishes, but they ran out quickly because people returned for multiple samples.
Sheri Lytle, executive director of the Columbus Wine Alliance, which planned Saucebox, emailed a statement to The Dispatch that said the organization takes “full responsibility” for the food shortage and has “already issued refunds to affected attendees.”
Asked how many people received refunds and whether they were issued automatically or just to people who requested them, she replied: “We stand by our statement and have nothing additional at this time.”
Scott Heimlich, owner of Barcelona, said an email he received from festival creator Gregory Stokes on Oct. 8 said 700 tickets had been sold at that time for the event scheduled four days later. The email said more online advance sales were expected and some tickets would be sold at the gate.
Advised to prepare 500 to 600 tastings, Barcelona Executive Chef Ruben Beabrauth readied enough chorizo scallop mousse and pumpkin gazpacho for twice as many servings, Heimlich said. Still, Barcelona was among vendors that ran out of food less than halfway into the festival’s five-hour run.
“You’ve got top chefs there. They don’t screw around with stuff like this,” Heimlich said. “He felt very embarrassed. It’s our reputation as a restaurant. It’s his reputation as a chef.”
An attendee who kept count posted on Reddit that 14 vendors ran out of food, some by 1:30 p.m.
Chef Yash Kishinchand, an owner of Flour Modern Pasta Bar and Rooh, said experience also taught him to prepare more food than organizers recommended. But while wine servings were limited, he said, food was not.
“I don’t think anyone could have prepared enough for that,” he said.
In the days since Saucebox, Heimlich said Barcelona has received no official explanation of the festival’s problems. In addition to the all-you-can-eat setup, though, he said employees have told him entry wasn’t restricted to those with tickets.
Saucebox hadn’t alluded to any problems on its social media as of Oct. 16. Its website promises, “See you next year!”
Although Lytle’s statement to The Dispatch took responsibility for the lack of food, it offered no reason, saying, “Unfortunately, our food vendors ran out of samples earlier than planned, and some guests didn’t get the full culinary experience we intended to deliver.”
“We take full responsibility for this and have already issued refunds to affected attendees,” she continued. “As a volunteer-run nonprofit event, we’re learning and growing, and we’re committed to using this years’ experience to improve logistics and ensure that every future guest enjoys the full Saucebox experience.”
Bob Vitale can be reached at rvitale@dispatch.com or at @dispatchdining on the Instagram social platform.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Saucebox, a new food festival in Columbus, says it’s refunding attendees who got no food
Reporting by Bob Vitale, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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