This may be a dumb question, but I have not yet dealt with this situation and as there is a hurricane coming our way, I may need a backup plan for this weekend: In the event you have a client that is to pick up a cake during bad weather what do you do? Is it possible to freeze an entirely decorated cake? What happens as far as refunds if the neither party can get the cake to the other? Is 50% fair?

Do you have an "Act of God" clause in your contract?

I would contact the client to find out if they even still want the cake. If there is a hurricane coming, their event date may change, and sometimes things like cakes may get put to the back burner as people are trying to coordinate supplies, shelter locations, securing their properties etc. My advice would be to contact your client today to verify if they still want the order...

Dreme, I am in NC and also concerned about hurricane Irene this weekend! I have an "Act of God" clause in all my contracts so that I am not out any money if something such as this happens. (Of course, I would try my best to accommodate their next event, either free of charge or at cost.) I agree with Caymancake ~ regardless of what you have in the contract, find out if the event is still even going to happen this weekend, and if your client has made any contingency plans. I have never frozen a fully decorated cake, so I can't help you there. I wish you luck!

(Hangs head in slight shame), I have that clause in my contract for wedding cakes and large events. As I have several products and type of orders I do not have clients sign a contract for smaller orders. They just sign the bottom of the invoice for the pickup and/or any credit card receipts.

Yes, my client still wants the cake for the same date. So far I have notified her that if anything changes with her event, or will affect her pickup time, to just give me a call and we can make arrangements from there.

I'm just wondering what physically happens to the cake (or other orders) in these situations when I still have it beyond their pickup time for reasons uncontrollable. My regular policy states that if it is abandoned over 24 hrs it can be donated without compensation, but this is a different situation.

What do you guys do? What physically happens to the order? If the client can not come an get it, due to circumstances beyond their control, should they be compensated say maybe 50% cause they did not get the order and you made the order? What if their event is rescheduled and the order has to be remade, do they fully repay or get a percentage off?

You ask if a fully decorated cake can be fzn. That would depend somewhat on the icing/filling/decos used. Generally yes, but there *might* be some bleeding of colors or other distortions.
But think about this: if people cannot get around because the enviroment is bad, most likely there will not be electricity to maintain a fzr.
As far as what to do........personally........I'd probably go with the 50% refund &/or try your very best to accomodate their new date w/them paying 50%?

Good point. Didn't think about the electricity being out.

The 50% thing is my backup plan.