Our Palace is Your Palace!

By Bob Cox

During the Great Recession, millions of Americans endured a variety of financial and emotional hardships. Not only did the housing market experience an unprecedented downfall, the financial industry was in shambles, which forced thousands of businesses to either downsize or go down six feet of dirt. The year was 2008 when Shafika Mangal was laid off from her job. She had no prospects for employment since most businesses weren’t hiring. How would Shafika manage to survive and make ends meet?

Shafika reflected on all the hardships she had endured during her lifetime and then on the qualities that helped her persevere. The inner strengths she had relied on would serve her well during those dark days. “I’ve been through hardships many times in life but I’m the type of person that when I fall down, I get up. I don’t quit until I find a solution. Life is good. God gave us life and I am determined to enjoy every minute of it”, said Shafika.

The lack of employment opportunities forced Shafika to come up with a completely different strategy to create a steady source of income. She had nearly 30 years of experience managing five star hotels, so she drew upon her vast number of skills and focused on those experiences she enjoyed most. “I had to do something, so I put everything into it, including my energy, my money and my retirement to purchase an existing banquet hall and catering business”, explained Shafika.

Today, Shafika Mangal is the proud owner of The Palace Ballroom, Inc. in Rancho Cordova, CA. She purchased the business while it was in Carmichael and moved it two years ago to its current venue, which is substantially larger. The Palace Ballroom is a stunningly beautiful facility that encompasses nearly 19,000 square feet of luxurious amenities. I spoke with Shafika the other day to learn more about her unique and thriving business.

Q: Why did you choose to purchase a banquet hall and catering business?

A: Thank you so much for asking me that question. I love what I do and I am a people person. You can run this business if you’re a people person but you have to have the patience, the attitude and the experience to succeed. I’ve been doing this for a long time and really enjoy taking care of my customers.

Q: What was it like when you first started in 2008?

A: The first job I got, I catered for a group of about 70 people and it was such an enjoyable experience! It’s been growing ever since and my goal is to let this business continue to grow and reach the goal I set for myself. I love coming to work every day and I’m very happy to take care of our customers.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your facility and describe the types of events you host?

A: We have an international banquet hall and we are open to the public and the business community. We host a variety of functions, including weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries and a number of other celebrations. Businesses choose us when they host meetings, conventions, parties and training sessions. For businesses, we offer a continental breakfast, a cold lunch or hot lunch and much more. We also have a fully functioning kitchen and can serve food to all of our guests.

Q: How many people can you host?

A: Our capacity is 640 people. We often work with smaller groups, from 100 people on up. The size of the room is huge, so for smaller events, we can partition the room to create the ideal environment for our customers. We can make the space any size or shape our customers want to make the space feel more intimate and presentable.

Q: What types of cuisine do you serve?

A: We can serve any type of cuisine our customer’s want, so everything is on the menu. We are an international banquet hall, so we have hosted events for a variety of cultures and companies, big and small. We are here to serve the public and we are happy to take care of your banquet and catering needs.

Q: What sets you apart from the competition?

A: I have no competition here locally. I know we all need money to pay our bills, but my mission is making sure my customers are happy and say, “This is the greatest place”. When people come here, they feel our friendly service, they smell our delicious food we serve, they see the nice uniforms worn by our employees and experience our five star service. Those are the things that set us apart.

Q: Do you help your clients plan their events?

A: Yes. We start by giving them a site tour and let them know about the different services we offer. They tell us what they need and then we come up with a strategy to make it work.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your business?

A: Our customers. They are number one. We want to take care of them and we give them real red carpet service, which is an actual red carpet that’s rolled out at the front door for them. If they want to create an upscale function with limousine service and so on, we will make that happen. I’m so happy to provide this atmosphere for our customers and always look forward to meeting with them and our new clients as well!

Editors notes: For more information about The Palace Ballroom, Inc., stop by their facility at 11354 White Rock Road, Suite 120 in Rancho Cordova, CA, visit their website at www.thepalaceballroomsacramento.com or call (916) 722-6741.