I apologize for this late post. I would have posted sooner, but several circumstances prevented me from doing so.
This year at the Bishounen Café, while I had a good deal of fun and was happy to support YaoiCon 2007 with this new fundraiser, I can't help but feel slightly cheated. I'm sure that everyone involved did his or her best, and that there were some extenuating circumstances (like the head of the project getting caught in traffic) and whatnot that prevented the event from being started at the originally appointed time. Those things are understandable, and I was expecting a slightly rough execution, it was the first year being done and all that.
No, what disappointed me was the actual tea service. I realize that for the price given and the situation at the con there were going to be some restrictions on what could be served, but I don't think that was a good excuse for the food served, nor for the manner of service. I didn't expect fine china, it's a nice thought, but completely unrealistic, but that doesn't mean we didn't deserve perhaps plastic or at least patterned paper plates and cups, or perhaps some nicer napkins. Little touches that would really convey a sense of elegance usually thought of when one imagines Western High tea.
And the food! To be honest, when I paid ten dollars for my tea service I was expecting something a touch more catered. Thinking back that expectation might have been too high, but I certainly don't think it's too much to expect a bit more than Wonder bread with a smear of mustard and a single slice of pre-packaged ham. The other sandwiches were rather similar. And the sweets service? Two brownie bites and a few cookies from some bargain brand bag? I'm sorry, but that certainly doesn't seem to add up to a fraction of what we paid.
Now I completely understand that the Bishie Café is a fundraiser, and as such the proceeds go into funding future cons. I'm all for that, but when you think of other fundraising endeavors (such as Girl Scouts with cookies, Boy Scouts with popcorn, High Schools with chocolate, pies, apples, you name it) I tend to think that a bit more effort and respect for the product being sold needs to be had. And it's not as if YaoiCon doesn't have one of the most amazing, lucrative fundraisers in con history with the Bishounen Auction. There's no reason for the slap-dash food service at the Bishie Café.
Your volunteers are free, so there's no paying them. Good food is rather inexpensive when bought in large quantities and it really doesn't take much to present a nice service and still have a perfectly decent return. The presentation and execution of the entire event put me in mind of something someone dreamed up over the weekend and didn't properly follow through on. I truly apologize if I insulted anyone with that last comment, especially if it isn't true, but it did rather feel that way.
I'm not the only one who feels this way, one of your service staff made a post on his site with a sizable apology to the patrons and a few suggestions for the future café.
http://www.1000gears.com/soapbox/15_yaoicon-2007-one-servers-thoughts/#more-15 I really can't improve of lostcatboy's suggestions, so I won't try, I'll just recommend that you read his post and take a few tips from him. I would really love to attend the café again next year, but if I can expect that same as this year, then I will probably find something else to do. Thank you for listening.
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