Katie P.
Yelp
I'm taking the time to leave a review of the MANAGEMENT, which will hopefully help anyone who plans on hosting a private event or large party at Gino's in the future -- because I'm disgusted by my recent experience and how it was handled.
I recently held the lunch reception for my dad's funeral service at Gino's on their back patio (which holds up to 55 people). Two days before the reception, I went in person to the restaurant and met with their employee who handles private parties ((she was very nice and helpful; note: this is not the management I'm reviewing here)) and we finalized my headcount of 43 guests and confirmed my menu selections to stay within a particular budget. Everything was confirmed, and I felt assured, which helped ease my stress around the funeral as it was.
The next day, the NIGHT BEFORE the funeral/reception, I received a call from the Gino's MANAGER letting me know that I had been misinformed by his staff member whom I met with -- and that the cost couldn't be based on the headcount of 43, but had to be for the 55 people the room accommodates. He said he'd come down and only charge me for 50 people instead "as a courtesy." I tried to argue my agreed-upon cost of 43 guests, as the difference in price that he was telling me I would now owe was an additional $400+. He refused. He negated the contract that I had worked out with his own employee just the day before. If this was a good manager, I never would have even known about this issue on their backend; they would have eaten the $400 cost due to their internal error without me ever knowing (or: told me about it, but still honored the 43-person contract they had created for me).
In addition, as a sidenote, the corkage fee for private parties is listed on their website as $15 per bottle. In reality, I learned that it's $25 per bottle and that their website is wrong and they haven't bothered to update it. That said, after the manager insisted on charging me the additional $400 detailed above, I asked if they could come down on their corkage fee or even waive it, and he stood firm at $25 per bottle. Again, I am still stunned at the nickel and dime-ing of this individual and institution.
If you're planning a party, please beware or avoid Gino's if you can. I grew up going to this place (probably 25 years now) and had always loved the food but, after this, I don't plan on going back or ever recommending it to anyone. Apparently, the restaurant is under new ownership from what it had been in the past (it's not the family that historically owned it for decades) and to me THAT makes perfect sense -- because how my dad's funeral reception was handled isn't even close to the Italian way.
