A Black-owned bakery in the South Bay experienced unexpected setbacks after a catering contract to celebrate Black Heritage Month went awry earlier this month.
The Giving Pies, located in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood, found themselves facing financial losses instead of gains from what initially seemed like a lucrative opportunity. Voahangy Rasetarinera, the owner of The Giving Pies, received a promising call on Valentine’s Day from a representative of Tesla, offering a catering job for thousands of mini-pies for a Black History Month event.
Having established her business in 2017, Rasetarinera eagerly accepted the $16,000 deal, and both parties agreed on the terms, including the delivery of 4,000 pies within a tight timeframe. To meet the demand, Rasetarinera and her staff put in extra hours, purchased necessary ingredients and packaging supplies, and turned down other catering opportunities.
However, just two days after securing the contract with Tesla, Rasetarinera received a curt text message canceling the order, leaving her and her staff in a challenging situation.
Expressing her disappointment, Rasetarinera stated, “It felt like we didn’t matter… It’s not like that. I had to tell my staff to change your plans.”
Despite successfully handling similar large-scale orders for prestigious clients like Google, Apple, and Adobe in the past, Rasetarinera found herself unable to recoup expenses due to Tesla’s cancellation before payment.
When contacted by NBC Bay Area for clarification on the situation and potential compensation for the bakery’s losses, a Tesla spokesperson declined to respond to specific inquiries but acknowledged communication with Rasetarinera.
