(WXYZ) — The Rocket Mortgage Classic draws thousands of folks to Detroit, which supports many local businesses.
One of them is Forte Belanger, a catering company in charge of concessions for the four-day event. Executive Chef Collin John is up for the challenge.
"We are currently five on the course, five separate kitchens that are doing five separate hot cooks, five separate menus," said Chef John.
Four executive chefs are on site, with at least 85 culinary team members preparing food for fans daily.
"So, for private hospitality, 2,500 and general stand concessions, we prepare between 6500 and 8000 a day." Chef John.
The company has been catering since the inception of the annual golf event back in 2019.
"How far in advance do you have to prep for an event like this?" asked 7 Action News.
"Front end work, like menus, preparations, we start almost right after the tournament ends. So we have recap meetings, we get all our financials intact, we see where we are winning or losing, what we need to adjust or change. I start chipping away at menus. Sometimes I will do a repeat item if they really love something. You know, chicken wings here are a big hit," said Chef John.
With a total of 48 dishes planned for the four days, many ingredients are used to meet the demand.
"Yesterday we did, we had short ribs, and we sent a course for private hospitality alone of nearly 800 lbs, so for this site, that we are standing is about 550 today, and we have roughly 110 lbs of wings, we will do French fries, I think we will do about 150lbs of French fries," said Chef John.
Forte Belanger's Shannon Conlan says folks never see the hard work that goes into prepping for such an event, but as long as they are having fun, that's all that matters.
"Behind the scenes is a little more chaotic, you will see our carts racing around. Replacing beverages, replacing ice, and bringing food from different areas," said Conlan.
Shannon is proud of her 300-strong team that starts at 4 am and is also grateful for the event supporting local businesses.
"When we come on to course, and we get to see other vendors, it's like summer camp. Everybody gets excited and pumped," said Conlan.
