About Us
Our Story
Unleash Joy Through Genuine Hospitality™
Great Performances is a New York City-based hospitality company at the intersection of food, events, and culture.
Founded in 1980 as a waitress service for women in the arts seeking flexible work, the company has grown into one of the country’s leading catering, events, and hospitality partners.
Today, we produce events across the city, operate cafés and restaurants, and work with some of the most iconic cultural institutions across New York.
Our work is grounded in craft, collaboration, and a long-standing connection to New York City’s cultural and civic life.
How It Began
Great Performances began with a simple, practical idea: create flexible work opportunities for women in the arts.
That foundation—hospitality as both craft and opportunity—still shapes how we operate today.
What started as one woman’s vision has grown into a company serving New York City across events, dining, and cultural partnerships, while staying closely connected to its original purpose.
Our Food Philosophy
Food is at the center of everything we do.Our approach is ingredient-driven and season-led, grounded in technique, integrity, and respect for how food is grown, prepared, and shared. Menus reflect contemporary American cuisine and global food traditions, with a proudly plant-forward perspective and a focus on thoughtful sourcing and waste reduction.
A cornerstone of this philosophy is Katchkie Farm, our 60-acre organic farm in Kinderhook, New York. During the growing season, up to 30% of the produce used in our kitchens comes directly from the farm, shaping menus across our work.
Doing Good Through Food
We support organizations working at the intersection of food access, education, culture, and community resilience, contributing culinary expertise, operational support, and resources where they are most needed. Long-standing partners include The Sylvia Center, City Harvest, the Department for the Aging (DFTA), and numerous food pantries and community organizations across New York City.
Great Performances has also mobilized food and hospitality resources during times of crisis, providing emergency meals and operational support following 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Our approach is grounded in dignity, nourishment, and reliability.
We integrate food rescue, composting, and waste reduction into daily operations, redirecting surplus food to communities and reducing landfill waste.
Our Home: The Bronx
Great Performances has been headquartered in the South Bronx since 2019, where our kitchens, operations, and leadership teams are based.
The move reflected the company’s growth and the need for a facility designed to support complex, high-volume hospitality work. Today this headquarters is where menus are developed, systems are refined, and the coordination behind our events and partnerships takes shape.
Being based in the Bronx connects us to a borough defined by creativity, resilience, and cultural depth, reinforcing the care and accountability we bring to the city we serve.
40+ Years
For over four decades, Great Performances has grown alongside New York City,evolving in scale, scope, and complexity while staying grounded in a hands-on, collaborative approach.
We’ve become a trusted partner for events of every size, from intimate gatherings to large-scale productions serving thousands.
That range is part of what defines us: experienced enough to execute complex events at scale, and nimble enough to stay personal, flexible, and responsive.
The work has grown. The standards haven’t.
Our People
Hospitality is ensemble work. Every event, café, and partnership is the result of skilled professionals working in coordination — chefs, farmers, servers, planners, designers, and hospitality professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
Many members of our team are working artists alongside career hospitality professionals. What unites everyone is a shared commitment to hospitality, collaboration, and doing the work well. We invest in training, mentorship, and advancement across roles and disciplines.
Through our Bravo Awards, we recognize those who exemplify our values in action—team members whose care, initiative, and commitment elevate the experience for everyone around them.
The most important quality we look for is an innate sense of hospitality—the instinct to make people feel welcome, cared for, and at ease.
Our Vision, Mission, and Values
Great Performances mission and vision poster
Great Performances values and guiding principles poster
Our Memberships and Affliations
