Agency Checklists caught a television advertisement on NECN recently about the TV Diner’s Annual Platinum Plate Gala sponsored by Dadgar Insurance. Intrigued with the notion of an insurance agency sponsoring a foodie party, we decided to find out more.
TV Diner, on NECN weeknights at 7:30 and twice on Saturday, is a local restaurant and food program hosted by Billy Costa and Jenny Johnson. TV Diner’s Platinum Plate Gala celebrates local food and food-lovers alike by bringing together over 30 New England restaurants and vendors to prepare and serve their “most delicious signature dishes” in a night of eating, drinking and dancing. This year’s event will be held this weekend at the Seaport World Trade Center on Saturday from 7pm-11pm.
This will be the third ye
ar that Dadgar Insurance sponsors both the television show TV Diner as well as its Platinum Plate Gala. Dadgar Insurance, started by Anowsh Dadgar in 1981, is an independent agency based in Woburn. The agency which currently writes over 800 restaurants has been focused on restaurant insurance coverage and apartment building insurance coverage since its beginnings. As Anowsh explains it his agency’s focus mirrors his own. “In 1979 when my wife and I were first married, we lived in an apartment and ate out a lot.” While the company’s main focus continues to be restaurant and apartment building insurance, the agency is a multi-line agency that offers commercial building and property insurance to all types of business.
In addition to being a member of the Massachusetts Specialty Foods Association and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, Dadgar says that sponsoring a local TV program like TV Diner and its TV Platinum Plate Gala which promotes the local food industry is an invaluable opportunity for his agency. Working with a program like TV Diner “…gives us great name recognition within the restaurant industry as well as many networking opportunities” that might otherwise be unavailable.
A long-time participant of the TV Diner Gala concurs. Jose Duarte, Chef Owner of Boston’s Taranta Restaurant and this year’s Massachusetts Restaurant Association’s Chef of the Year has participated in the TV Diner Gala since it started and says that working with a local food show like TV Diner has been great for his restaurant. “We have traveled with them and participated in many of their events” says Duarte but he likes participating in the Gala because aside from being just a great event to go to, “it gives us great exposure.”
Ultimately, however, Dadgar says that his agency’s success in this competitive market, aside from the sponsorships and networking is because of the fundamentals, “…spending quality time with the client in understanding the operation and exposures in order to offer and recommend appropriate coverage and limits” and providing “good customer service, nurturing and maintaining good relationships with our clients and having a wonderful and caring staff.”
