In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene”™s passage up the New Jersey coast, a White Plains restaurateur heeded the call to cater.
Peter Herrero, owner of New York Hospitality Group, brought a staff of 15 chefs, cooks and managers from two of his company”™s businesses, Great American BBQ Co. and Caperberry Events Catering, to Atlantic City, N.J., to feed a small army of utility linemen, tree-removal and construction crews that responded to the disaster. Crews came from as far away as Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas and worked from Monday through Thursday after the storm to restore power and clear and reopen roads.
Herrero said the emergency response in southern New Jersey was led by Pepco, a utility that serves electrical customers in Washington, D.C., and parts of Maryland, under a contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The D.C.-based utility worked with the local Atlantic City Electrical Co.
A Baltimore caterer and friend of Herrero contacted him on Saturday, Aug. 27, as the storm headed up the East Coast, with an offer to have his White Plains company feed workers who would encamp at FEMA”™s emergency operations center on the grounds of the Atlantic City Raceway. His Baltimore colleague has a contract with FEMA to provide emergency catering services.
Once called, “You”™ve got 36 hours to mobilize,” said Herrero.
The approaching hurricane had already led to the cancellation of three Sunday parties booked for Herrero”™s White Plains restaurant, Sam”™s of Gedney Way, and Great American BBQ. Several employees were on work furlough that week and jumped at Herrero”™s call to action and the opportunity to earn a paycheck.
Driving to Atlantic City in three equipment-laden trucks early that Monday, the White Plains crew fed 350 workers on their arrival. “By 3 or 4 o”™clock, they had already asked us, ”˜Can you do 700?”™” said Herrero. “You literally have an hour to decide.”
Herrero got in his iPhone and found a BJ”™s Wholesale Club in the area, where he arranged a credit line for his additional bulk food purchases. His catering crew would serve 700 breakfasts, 700 take-out lunches and 700 dinners daily ”“ including one special barbecued ribs and chicken spread ”“ while the emergency operation lasted.
“This was one of those times that really makes you proud to be an American,” said Herrero, “when you get to see the American mutual aid system work.”
Pepco will foot the bill for the emergency response. “I think it cost them something like $26 million for those few days,” said Herrero. The caterer said his company”™s costs were under $100,000.
Having catered one emergency operation, “We”™re going out for the business now,” said Herrero. “We”™ve got to make something happen now” in the slow economy. “If we can do two or three of them a year, that will give us a decent year” at New York Hospitality Group.
That additional business began on Sept. 6. First approached by the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services, Herrero contracted with FEMA to serve meals to workers staffing the agency”™s disaster recovery center at the County Center in White Plains. The job will last one to two weeks.
“My company needs me to do this,” he said.
