02/20/2026
Buckle in for this one — it’s a good story.
Here’s the short version: 300 guests. Plated dinner. 18 minutes total.
And this is exactly why I’m so proud of the team at Venue 1230.
Every year, we host an incredible event in support of Green Gables Haven. They do such an amazing job securing auction items that we truly need every square inch of our venue to display everything.
At the same time, we’re constantly upgrading our main room to enhance the wedding guest experience. That’s a great thing for weddings… but not necessarily ideal for this particular event.
So this year, Janie and the team made a bold decision: move to a plated dinner and use the buffet space for auction items.
It turned out to be the perfect move.
We increased floor space and elevated the overall experience, giving all 300 guests a more luxurious evening.
Now here’s the part that really stands out.
Serving 300 plated dinners isn’t unusual in the catering world. But what is unusual is doing it quickly without sacrificing quality.
The national average for serving 300 plated meals is typically 60–90 minutes.
As most of you know, we don’t aim for average at Venue 1230.
We set a conservative internal goal of under 30 minutes.
The final time?
18 minutes.
Dan, our head chef, has executed service at this level before and was confident we could make it happen. But confidence alone doesn’t produce results.
Calli Cusack and Andrea Jackson put pen to paper and designed a fresh system to support Dan in the kitchen. They collaborated on every detail — what would work, what wouldn’t, how the flow should move, where staff would stand, and how plates would travel.
They staged it with the team.
They refined it.
They prepared.
Then, on event day, they executed.
We had 26 team members on staff. From dishwashers to management, everyone stepped up. Every available set of hands was called in to support the plan — and it paid off.
And here’s the best part…
My wife and I weren’t even there.
This wasn’t my plan.
This wasn’t my ex*****on.
This was ALL Venue 1230 staff.
Most guests walk in, enjoy themselves, and never see the hours of planning behind the scenes. That’s exactly how it should be. Our goal is always to create a seamless, memorable experience for every person who walks through our doors.
But what makes me especially proud is that our team also had a great experience executing it. That only happens when leaders like Dan, Calli, and Andrea invest the time beforehand to prepare their people for success.
This was our first 300-person plated dinner at the venue.
It could have been overwhelming.
It could have been chaotic.
It could have been average.
Instead, we faced a new challenge and no one said, “We can’t.”
We engaged the entire team.
We planned.
We trusted each other.
And we delivered.
I am incredibly grateful for a staff that refuses to settle for average and continually pursues excellence.
We don’t just host events at Venue 1230.
We create experiences.
We create memories.
And we do it together.
I can’t wait for the next challenge.
Side note this is a pic from our Christmas party this year. So this is staff that could attend and their plus ones. 🙂
