Jolie Studio — Local services in New York

I will never book with Jolie again. This is not a place to feel like you are getting the best of the best. I am sharing my detailed experience so that you are an informed customer.

Pros: The outdoor area looks nice. They mostly executed my vision for the decor. This is a Black-owned business.

Cons: Energetically, the staff are not warm.

Jamalla was very nice when I met her, that changed. She didn't write a single thing down when I met her for our initial viewing of the space. I assumed it was because she had a wonderful memory (like a seasoned waitress) so I trusted her. I will outline further the things she forgot below.

We received our invoice for the decor 2 weeks after the estimated time. This was a setback because we were only 2 weeks out and did not have the time to facilitate the decor ourselves. Once we were given the invoice we were given a 5 day turnaround time. They worked with us and extended the deadline after a conversation, but then changed it back once we added a sign.

Once I received the invoice I saw that the ceiling balloon decor, the throne, and the sign we discussed were not on it. However, due to the cost being over budget, except for the sign, I didn't not ask for them to be added.

The day before my event I called Jamalla and was assured the space would be ready by 4pm. I arrived around 4:20pm. Our start time was 7pm. They asked me how many burners I needed as they did not get them as yet, nor was the sign picked up. Jamalla was aware my food was to be delivered by 5:30pm. The burners arrived around 20 minutes to 7pm. It dramatically impacted the quality of the food we catered, especially the fried fish.

The space looked good. HOWEVER, the tablecloths and the draping done on the wall were wrinkled and needed desperately to be steamed. There was hand sanitizer instead of soap in the bathroom.

I asked for acrylic dinnerware at our initial meeting. Day of we received ceramic/glass. The invoice did not specify so I was unaware this was going to be a problem. Jamalla also promised that there would be extra of everything as it related to utencils/serveware etc. Days before I texted to confirm this, she changed her story.

When I saw Jamalla 4ish she told me she needed to pick up the sign. I left and my family helped set up. She told them again at around 6pm that she was going to pick up the sign. At 6:59pm she texted my BF saying the print shop was having a delay with the sign. She returned at 7:05pm after the event started with the sign. It appeared that she spent most of the time not getting the sign, but getting her hair done, as she arrived this time with rollers in her hair.

Deidre stormed into the space during setup to express concern that the nurse I hired to perform covid tests was going to be a liability as she was sitting outside. She is pregnant. First the conversation was about it being "bad for business" and when it was not going well with my family she then made it about the "liability" of the space, then it was about her conscious. It was not a pleasant conversation and she made assumptions about a trained professional's abilities just because she was pregnant. Our nurse specifically wanted to be outside as it was the most hygienic option. Truly, I could understand having personal discomfort, however she came across very rude, passing judgment on us for having her outside. We eventually came to an agreement and had the nurse at a separate location for testing.

Deidre had a unpleasant energy with us the rest of the evening and came through the space multiple times after the event started. Only 2 of the times we requested her assistance. There was a back way to get to the kitchen and she did not need to come through the space to get to it. When she came she never asked if we needed anything. It appeared that she was investigating us, as if we were squatters on her property.

The lady washing dishes at the end of the event was also extremely...

ZERO STARS. We booked the Jolie Studio for a birthday party, and given the ease of booking, we immediately expressed interest in having them possibly handle decor as well. Although, their website lists all of their party packages with transparency. Future clients should note that they cannot accommodate the slightest modifications to these packages (everything is "as is" with no changes or add-ons). Before booking, they let us know that securing the space and hiring the Jolie Studio to handle decor were separate in terms of cost, sourcing, and planning. All of which were not a problem at the time. We later did a walkthrough of the space, where we saw the venue and started planning with the event coordinator onsite. Here's where things took a turn.

The first red flag was that the event coordinator didn't take any notes and yet reassured us multiple times that she would be able to bring our vision to life. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Had the Jolie Studio communicated this ahead of time, we might have been able to go with someone else for decor. At the time of our walkthrough, we also requested an itemized list and receipt. Keep in mind this was almost a full 30 days before our event. We did not receive the itemized list and receipt until a few days before our event. Despite multiple phone calls, excessive text messages, and emails - all of which delayed us and forced us to utilize them and only them for decor. We then discovered the only vision the Jolie Studio had or could see were dollar signs, which brings me to red flags number two and three.

On the day of the event, everything fell completely apart. Early on, they let us know the event space was family-owned and operated. But, we didn't know on the day of the event, various family members would show up unannounced with no formal introduction to perform different tasks related to our event. In addition, nothing was ready in time. The Jolie Studio was still working on decor and setup minutes before our guests arrived. They also purposely left out that they live near the event space, which only added to our frustration and confusion as to why weren't things set up on time or in advance. We were also yelled at and berated by Jolie Studio staff. That said, the whole experience was infuriating. Based on the number of positive reviews, it's clear that the relatives are commenting on the great times they've had as a family. I don't think the reviews for this event space are real, and I don't believe that the Jolie Studio can deliver on the things they advertise in...

Jolie Studio represents what I would like to call classic, authentic Brooklyn - in all the good ways. I immediately booked them because of their responsiveness to my inquiry.

It is a family owned business where I was treated like cousin. A few weeks before our event happened life happened and I had NO capacity to plan the event that I envisioned. I called Jo and shared my reality. I released every aspect of the event to her, and she kept me looped in as much as possible. We communicated via text, email, and, phone - whatever I had time for. I shared my vision and trusted Jo to make all decisions on my behalf. At the end of the day, the things that mattered the most, decor and food, met my bar. We hosted an amazing, fun filled baby shower with Karaoke as the main feature instead of a more traditional shower.

When you decide to go with a small business, you are signing up for a partnership where it only works when both parties are honest with each other. I am forever grateful to Jo, Deidre, and the team - they took care of us from start to...