New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-10
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
,,pr OF CATERING COMPANY.

The New-York Catering Company, when was az
.,aan,1ed about q year ago, with, capital OF
Si0O, 600 to furnish meals 90 iamies las !" ss
~snded aud promised WELL No little ingenuity mad
been spent in planning light sprlns-wagons pro,
yided with boiler for delivering the meals not anu
In good condition. Each meal for each family was
rut up in q tight copper box silyerplated dlshes
and platters made TO fit the box. A snal, rsiiige
rator was also built on each wagon III when duilnS
the warm months, butter, salads, lcecis''ih anu
similar things were kept. The wagons ana tne ac-
companying apparatus were patented, the prices
were reasonable l4 per week ioT one pcrch ID,
dtiona portion and there was every inCncatloh Ior
fhe first few months of large and prohtaDie Dnsi-
The company Iaa Tor some a"e nor waoy
frst-st near Broadway not being adequate 10 the
demand In the spring another kitchen. WIN
office and restaurant, was opened at olXtn-ave anu
Fifty -fourth-st, and the business grew steadily.
Nearly all its patrons were pleased with the COM
pany's catering and many cordially recon- nended
IT, II was thought to be satisfactory as IL coud
be under the circumstances, and It was believed
that its organizers had hit upon lucky idea, ana
would be amply recompensed
But with the advent of the summer ana INC Gus
ing of the uptown kitchen. the quality OF the
meals the service and everything else began 10 de-
cline. Many families who renamed ,a III so ens
was prepared of lack of promptness In delivery
aud of the caeessness of the deivercrs They COM
planned and again 10 no pfp1se
was unouestiouably very bad, and suffered from
sheer neglect. It was shut up about October l,
mud the Sixth-ave establishment rcopened under
more favorable auspices and with marked improve
ment By that time the reputation OF the company
had so detcroratcd and its former patrons hai
been so badly treated that they could not be pei
suaded to renew their relations with 1t. Hnmors
had been circulated of the failure of the enterprise
and they were believed. The business had na'nr-
ally allen off during the sunlner.a anu Wheh ne ap
sentees came back they were deferred by Ill re-
ports in the main just, from making any arrange
rrnents ~ save the trouble of housekeeping. The
hoI hon Cufiipiput paultai ana
having beco ne financially embarrassed II was
OBLIGED 10 surrender Its failure is chiefly que,
however to lack oi management. II IT had been
rroprriy managed there Is lit lie doubt that 1t
would have been successful. despite It's lack ol
ample means .
Another cause uf trouble was the disagreement
bpt veen the PERSONS directly concerned ~ IT.
those i'm the downtown aud uptown cstaplSh-
,renis heinp continually at yariange. lhe ioiilei
,sos ,nlet ie,n,en direction and he latter under
J,pntl aud thp naiinnnl ideas Wet" no nnle hai-
muniuus han the culinary ideas. VINE mere aye
prnnapy thai his lately "Spiied vas the iiis' one
that had attempted sngh catering un
la.re scale piutidih4 special ,wasohs. hotrs eye.
Mant up,snis tinintain that upals caQhct be
sa,, pd aa,ieTaDintl, whpit w v hhVe 10 W. sphi
lnne Il s,anpps ~ ehHi-up ttssts. flrh nHbls 90
ail 10 pu aliei Willie to er' tpit iiirsur'f w y
i,lnatn uaialp, iiNi ihp sahir is ttnp ~ hitlsi
tVpU ni ihp hnsli Nhfip muunlniA, Npsilh9 we
anpatitn, 4 rlNaia iaha win lunh'he ~ Wv
ipW 10 undnplanli 'hhh''s' aFirahlu nv pNpN '"'a
has ~ disadvantage, The iillule az lhu tH'plius
oO,npany dOos nut move hat a shhlai th'u'rllsp,
"a competent experienced ahd Gafrl M lah'H' WIN
nroner captal could not succeed, Au0thol Nssurit-
tIon, Ia he dnectod by flenolnon eXclualNeh, WIN
fhO0, 600 behind H. II already oollehrlhipu' an
Is likely "a he carried out ln t4ly me !h'S h'l'
homes In any strict sense, aIe comparatively lew,
aud where irregular housekeeping isalinost he rule
many families will always he glad To get IA OF lie
Inconvenience Ol preparing their own meals mere
is demand for u good catering company, ana u
will not be long before such II company, II not
several companies, will be firmly established ana
prosperously conducted. New-lOrk moro than amy
other city at home or abroad has precisely such a
need,