BR Catering Company Takes Blame For Poor Kanye 'Brunchella' Food

The only thing that went more viral than Kanye after his Baton Rouge performance was the "brunch" that was served.

Unfortunately, the brunch didn't go viral for any of the right reasons. Many complained that the food "did not come as advertised" with the $55 ticket price.

Of course, people instantly blamed Kanye for the blunder, but a local catering company is stepping up to take the hit.

Lauryn's Fine Catering said they provided the food for Kanye's 'Sunday Service' event last Friday and according to a statement they released, reported by WAFB:

The catering company acknowledges it did not provide adequate food for ONE attendee and a social media post went viral. Kanye West and the Sunday Service collective should be disassociated with such claims surrounding the food at the event.

So, what they're saying is that one viral struggle plate that everyone saw on social media was an isolated event. I'm not saying they're lying, nor am I claiming that they're telling the truth—but I was at the show, and here is a photo of a plate that a guy was holding next to me.

Staff Photo

Personally, I couldn't care less about the brunch, and there were many others like me who were there to enjoy the overall musical experience and nothing else. Honestly, I figured the limited "VIP" tickets were meant to offset production and security costs, as we were guided by law enforcement officers when parking near the church.

Not all event-goers were as carefree about the quality of the brunch. WAFB reports that Caroline Heims is just one of the many who were disappointed after she felt shorted for the money she spent on tickets.

It was a good experience even though the breakfast was bad. The grits was the warmest, but everything else was cold and you know, we didn’t really have anywhere to sit and we just kinda sit out on the grass or stand up and eat. They say the concert itself was free, so if the money was for the brunch, I mean, some refund would be owed to people.

Event organizer Adrian Hammond, Jr. blamed the caterer, telling WAFB that they were paid over $23,000 "but did not deliver." He believes people that are upset by the quality of the food are focused on the wrong thing.

The Kayne West Sunday Service was a very positive, uplifting, spiritual awakening experience for many. We have received thousands of emails from concert-goers thanking us for bringing Kanye to Baton Rouge. Hundreds of pastors from across the country have asked us to bring Kanye to their various cities. Additionally, Bethany Pastor Jonathan Stockstill called me to personally thank me for the wonderful opportunity to help bring souls to Christ. The complaints we have received have been addressed. We have also reached out to the young lady whose post went viral concerning the food and offered to remedy the situation. The complaints received were in the minority as the overwhelming majority of people who attended the concert enjoyed a dynamic, epic worship service. Our intention was to bring the word of God to the community and we are proud to have accomplished that. We are also so grateful for all of the amazing feedback. A big thank you to Pastor Stockstill and the residents of Baton Rouge for your support. We look forward to bringing Kanye back to Baton Rouge to continue to help spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
A special thanks to Kanye West for bringing such a powerful event to the Capital City.

Bethany Church distanced themselves from the catered brunch via a rep who said that "while the event did happen outside of Bethany Church, Bethany only supplied the location, nothing else."

As the venue location, and nothing else, Bethany Church simply allowed an event promoter to utilize the open field in front of the church crosses. All artist logistics, including ticket sales and relevant financial agreements, were handled by the event promoter Affiliate Nation; the church has nothing to do with any of those operations and did not receive any amount of compensation, directly or indirectly, from sales related to the event. In no fashion was any part of this event a fundraiser for the church.

The WAFB report notes that their investigators "found a release from Louisiana’s U.S. Attorney’s Office showing where the concert promoter, Adrian Hammond, was convicted in 2018 and ordered to serve a year and a day in prison for bank fraud and other charges."

In 2016, federal investigators determined while he owed more than $100,000 in unpaid taxes, he cut a $220,000 deal with Southern University to provide entertainment for a concert. When the IRS contacted the school to collect part of the money Hammond was set to earn, investigators say he ended the contract with Southern and then got a friend to pick up the same contract with the university and pay him a cut from the earnings. Investigators say the money was then put into an account for his restaurant, Boil & Roux.

Hammond told WAFB that the event costs "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to put on, and in an interview with the station before the event, he stated that some of the proceeds collected would be going to charity.

We’re donating to local non-profit organizations as well, yeah

Outside of criticism online and reports from WAFB and TMZ, there haven't been any official complaints filed over the event or the brunch service provided.