San Francisco is a city overflowing with first class luxury hotels locked in fierce competition for local and out-of-town business in declines since the October 1989 earthquake. Amidst the roar, Hotel Nikko wanted to generate media attention and generate business for its banquet facilities.
“Rubber chicken” is a standard joke on the banquet circuit. San Francisco has a unique relationship with this bird- chicken is served at over 65% of all SF banquets, plus the Guinness Book of World Records for chicken consumption has been held in The City since 1963.
To show how far upscale banquet chicken had become and prove theirs was the best, Hotel Nikko invited the city’s luxury and convention hotels to the first annual banquet chicken challenge. The event was co-sponsored by the prestigious California Culinary Academy and endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce.
Crated rubber chickens with invitations were sent to a panel of judges, invitees, targeted media and the executive management of competing hotels. Participating chefs entered two dishes currently available on the banquet menu that could be prepared for at least 100 people. A blue ribbon panel of judges representing the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, the Culinary Academy and noted food critics graded the entries across five categories.
Hotel Nikko’s chicken was named Best Overall, plus won in two categories for Best Tasting and Best Value. The San Francisco Mayor sent a proclamation recognizing the “important contribution chicken and the hotel industry make to the city’s economy.”
Media coverage was extensive both locally and nationally – print, broadcast and wires.
