B.C. couple loses bid for $2,500 wedding caterer refund

Couple's claim dismissed

B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal says a B.C. couple won’t be getting $2,500 back from a caterer they claimed did a poor job of serving their wedding reception dinner.

Daniel Folino and Maria Vriniotis said they hired the respondent, W.W. Catering Ltd., doing business as Brock House Restaurant, to cater their wedding.

The couple claimed Vancouver's Brock House breached the parties’ agreement by providing food that was of poor quality and inconsistently sized portions.

And, they said, Brock House’s staff improperly consumed ice cream from a third-party vendor the applicants hired, costing the couple money.

In her Jan. 10 decision, tribunal vice-chair Andrea Ritchie said Folino and Vriniotis sought a total of $2,500. They are self-represented.

However, Brock House denied breaching the parties’ agreement.

It says the food was presented as agreed and that there was no agreement about portion size.

Still, Brock House acknowledged some of its staff consumed ice cream from the vendor, but says it provided the couple with a $500 goodwill discount to account for both the ice cream costs and their complaints about the food presentation.

“It denies the applicants are entitled to any further compensation,” Ritchie said.

Folino and Vriniotis argued the $500 discount was specifically to deal with sloppy and inconsistent plating, not for the ice cream.

“They say once the $500 is deducted, they still request a $2,000 refund for the sloppy plating, plus $110 for the ice cream, for a total of $2,110,” Ritchie said.

Ritchie found Folino and Vriniotis were not entitled to further compensation and dismissed the claim.