Home > Blogs > Taste: Dayton food and restaurants > Archives > 2008 > December > 10 > Entry
Rachael Ray wows ‘em in Beavercreek
The power of celebrity was on full display Wednesday night at Books & Co. at The Greene in Beavercreek.
Rachael Ray stopped by to sign copies of her newly released “Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book” ($24.95, Clarkson Potter), and to say that the crowd response was enthusiastic is an understatement.
The store was packed with “well more than 1,000 people,” according to Books & Co. spokeswoman Sharon Kelly Roth, and some employees said they’d never seen a turnout like this one. (To view the story I wrote for Thursday’s DDN, Click here.) Fans started lining up shortly after 9 a.m., a full nine hours before the event. All of the 250 line tickets (one line ticket per family) were all handed out by 5 p.m., an hour before the book-signing was scheduled to begin.
Ray arrived 10 minutes early from a similar event in Lexington, Ky. Her arrival brought squeals of delight and a rush to get a glimpse and pictures of her. It was an atmosphere I haven’t experienced since I saw then-President Bill Clinton speak at an education-reporters’ conference in the 1990s.
Ray disappointed a few fans by choosing to go straight to work signing and posing rather than speaking to the crowd first. Hard to fault her for that, though, given that there were 250 families who had as many as five of her cookbooks to sign and many, many photographs to pose for at the autograph table.
An assistant and a couple of security guards who accompanied Ray made sure the line moved along quickly, but Ray posed happily for every picture asked of her, with kids of all ages, shapes and sizes, and even for a white toy poodle who arrived and departed in what looked like a baby stroller pushed by his owner.
And when they walked away from the autograph table, fans were visibly flushed with excitement. “I just touched Rachael Ray!” gushed one teen-age girl. Many took only a few steps away from the table before they began to eagerly check the images they had just captured on their cell phones and digital cameras.
Other fans who were shut out from getting line tickets found creative, even sneaky ways to sidestep The Greene’s security guards who were trying to establish a perimeter of sorts so the line could move in and away from the autograph table. They were not about to let the opportunity of getting a picture of Rachael Ray pass by, even if it meant feigning interest in a Don Knotts book that just happened to be on a table that had a clear line of sight to Ray’s autograph table. Security guards weren’t buying it, but they weren’t being mean about it, either.
On the way back to my car, I overheard two women talking about the event. They had obviously showed up early to get a good line number, had gotten their signatures and pictures and were now headed home.
“Y’know, now that it’s all said and done, I’m not sure I’d do it again,” one said.
“I agree,” her companion replied. There was a slight pause. “Unless it was Paula Deen.”
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Something different
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By Buffhawke
December 16, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this
“Think,” you are right about the phone call. With 20/20 hindsight, I would have made one. I spoke with the Books & Co. management and they were completely taken aback by the turnout. “Relax” is correct; the 250 line number limit WAS set by the publishing company, not the store. To the credit of Books & Co., their management seemed to really care about the situation and was receptive to suggestions for future improvement. Upon further review, “I shall return” there :).
By Think Logically
December 11, 2008 4:22 PM | Link to this
Seriously people, where the heck is your common sense? Think about it, even if they did hand out the numbers until 5:00 and you got there at 5:00 you would have stood in line for a few hours just to be told you didn’t get a number because they had way more than 250 people at 4:00 already. The bookstore did this to save you the time of standing in line just to be turned away. If now you have to make up time at work for leaving early it’s no one’s fault but your own because a simple one minute phone call to the bookstore before you left work would have saved you trouble. Seriously, a one minute phone call. You just seem like a bitter person that loves to complain rather than a logical person that can understand what happened yesterday.
By mechengr9
December 11, 2008 4:10 PM | Link to this
hey Seriously We all having a calling in life. Mine is being a cynical SOB. Enjoy all that “yum-oh” food you can cook with your EVOO.
By fenwah
December 11, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this
My daughter is on the front page of the paper today w/ Rachael Ray. You would have thought that she won the lottery or something this morning. Thanks DDN for making my daugher’s day/week/month!
By fan
December 11, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this
Dee, if you had arrived at 4:59 is would not have mattered. They annuonced they were giving out numbers early because there were well over 250 people there by 4pm. They did not want people standing for more hours just to be turned away empty handed. It seems like some people are suggesting that Books&Co should not have allowed people to line up early, which doesn’t make sense.
By dee
December 11, 2008 2:13 PM | Link to this
i think books and co. was in the wrong when they gave out tickets early.how about the ones that couldnt make it till 5.oo pm maybe we want a signed book to.i have health problems i couldnt get there till 5.05 pm. i got shoved around,yelled at,and had an ashma attact with all the pusshing .i would like to tell the books & co. they upset a lot of people that couldnt get there and when they did couldnt see her .
By Seriously
December 11, 2008 2:01 PM | Link to this
Exctly. Everyone who wanted to have a book signed should have? She’s still be there now signing books. Get real. As for the ‘Rachel haters’, you’re entitled to your opinion, of course, but somehow I don’t think you’d find many at the packed venue to agree with you. It’s easy being a cynic, isn’t it? Just disagree with whatever someone else likes. :rolling eyes:
By relax
December 11, 2008 10:59 AM | Link to this
I attended this event and was mortified by the few people who chose to scream and make a scene inside the store after being told all of the numbers had been given out. Obviously one had to plan on arriving much earlier than 5pm to have a chance at a number. And the rules were not set by Books&Co but by the author and her agents. Rachael had a book signing in KY just prior to the one at the Greene - I wonder if anyone there chose to throw a tantrum?
By mechengr9
December 11, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this
Oh no I have angered a Rachel Ray lover. Sorry but you can’t add chicken stock to everything for that”all day cooked flavor.” Sometimes you just have to cook stuff all day. I HAVE tried her recipes and I will restate her food is HORRIBLE. And since you have never tasted my food calling it horrible is completely illogical. 30 minute meals suck.
By Doc
December 11, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
Jeez, these people showed up “nine hours early”? To meet Rachel Ray? Can anybody say “Losers”? Get a life, people.
By Buffhawke
December 11, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this
Being a working professional, I could only leave work an hour early to arrive at the store around 4:45. By that time, however, they had given out all the line numbers and there were no copies of the new book left to purchase, even for those who did not want to wait in line. THIS IS ATROCIOUS PLANNING AND GROSS MISMANAGEMENT! I would expect a LOT more line numbers for an author who is this prominent. Also, I would expect the management of the store to have ordered sufficient copies of the new book to provide one to everyone who wished to make a purchase. Because of the waste of my work time (which I have to make up), my personal time, and my gas, BOOKS & CO HAS PERMANANTLY LOST A CUSTOMER AT ALL OF THEIR STORES,and I encourage others to shop elsewhere!
By Modesto
December 11, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
This “woman” doesn’t even call herself a chef. She admits that she is just a person who loves to cook and was asked to host a show. I’ve tried several recipes and they are great! Unless you have personally tasted something that she has made I wouldn’t call her food horrible, I would call YOUR food horrible.
By mechengr9
December 11, 2008 6:57 AM | Link to this
Please don’t call this woman a chef. her food is horrible.talk show host maybe,cook never! i am not a fan but she is popular. Of course smoking used to be popular too. Paula Deen can at least cook,and Giada de Laurentiis now she can cook.