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Banquet business fits bill for city
(by Mike Klimko - December 23, 2008)
Banquet business fits bill for city
By MIKE KLIMKO
The big day in 2010 for Solon resident Sarah Wasserman is well-known to family, friends and classmates who plan to join her at the Solon Community Center to celebrate her bat mitzvah.
Sarah's mother, Mary Beth Wasserman, beat the rush by booking a banquet room on May 8 for the special day, one of several reservations already accepted by the Solon Recreation Department for the community center in 2010.
Those with an eye on the calendar and planning a celebration or party at the community center can get a jump on 2011, when the recreation department reopens for business on Jan. 2, banquet coordinator Laura Kent said.
Since opening in 2005, the community center has fit the bill for anniversaries, baby and bridal showers, birthdays, corporate meetings, graduations, wedding receptions, banquets and programs, according to manager David Peleg.
"Our first function was my husband's sister's wedding," Mrs. Kent said. "This is the place to be. We have people coming back who've been to events here or attended a party," she said of the banquet hall.
"The business people love it here. We have a lot of repeat business, both business and private. That says they like it here. We have had a lot of use in five years. We're open to more."
Reservations have reached a rate of 80 percent of the space available for banquets and meetings, Mr. Peleg said. Surveys show 95 percent satisfaction with the facilities, he said.
"We've never been sold out," Mr. Peleg said. "Most of the summer will be very busy with weddings, graduations and communions in May. People know about the place. We bring in more than we spend."
The banquet hall can accommodate up to 240 guests, Mr. Peleg said. A single banquet room can accommodate 80, he said. Two banquet rooms can accommodate up to 150, he said. Each of the banquet rooms is equipped with a drop-down screen from the ceiling for slide and video presentations, he said. Public address, Internet connections and a full kitchen for catering are available too, he said.
Individual meeting rooms can accommodate about 35 people, while the full meeting room can accommodate 70 people, he said. The use of the kitchen is available to two-room reservations, he said.
Rentals after the community center closes at 9:30 p.m. Friday or 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday require the use of a security officer, Mr. Peleg said. The banquet staff will arrange for the presence of a Solon police officer, he said.
"We're very familiar with the rec center," Mrs. Wasserman said. "I was there for a bar mitzvah. And it was run very well. It's very organized. We have a caterer in the family. He's done a hundred parties there," she said.
"It's fortunate that we have our own rec center. We're confident we'll be taken care of. We looked at other places. We have a lot of family in the area. And there was a concern about driving downtown. We've had the date for two years."
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