New Catering Group Includes Two Newcomers to Industry

LongIsland.com

Two Attorneys Join Executive Chef, Former Restaurant Owner in Acquiring Three Catering Halls in Nassau County

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A catering group named Garden City Caterers - comprised of two principals who have been involved in the catering and restaurant business and two newcomers to the catering industry - has recently acquired three prominent catering halls in Nassau County: The Stewart Manor Country Club, the Sans Souci of Sea Cliff and the catering operations of the Garden City Casino.

The group comprises of Pete Mattheos, Nicholas Pellegrini, Robert Martini and Frank Paladino. Mr. Mattheos, the group's Executive Chef, is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He previously served as Banquet Manager for the Marriott Hotel chain. Mr. Martini, who is the group's business manager, owned and operated a number of restaurants before joining the group.

Mr. Pellegrini and Mr. Paladino are newcomers to the catering industry. Both are partners at The Law Offices of Nicholas A. Pellegrini, LLP in Garden City. Mr. Pellegrini's father started Pellegrini Meats in 1959. The company is still located in Stewart Manor, New York, and provides the food for the three catering halls.

"I've always had an interest in catering," Mr. Pellegrini said. "My family was in the food business and my father had his own meat supply company. When I decided to go into the catering business, my law partner, Mr. Paladino, joined me in this venture."

The Garden City Casino, established in 1895, is one of the oldest buildings in the village of Garden City. It was first established as a gambling parlor where patrons took part in card games. It has since become a tennis club and has been substantially renovated, recently completing a new cocktail room and bar. The group operates the catering hall as Garden City Caterers at the Casino. It can hold up to 150 people and is also ideal for corporate functions. For more information, visit www.gardencitycasinocaterers.com.

Established in 1927, Stewart Manor Country Club has the largest capacity of the three catering halls. It can hold up to 220 people and is ideal for weddings. The group, operating as Stewart Manor Country Club, LLC, bought the Stewart Manor Country Club in 2007. For more information, visit www.stewartmanor.com.

Sans Souci (French for "carefree" or "without a care") started as a French restaurant on the Long Island Sound before it was converted to a catering hall. It holds up to 195 people and is ideal for romantic waterfront weddings and other functions. The group bought Sans Souci in July 2010 and currently operates as Sans Souci Caterers, LLC. For more information, visit www.sanssoucicaterers.com.

What differentiates Garden City Caterers from other catering entities is the attention that is given to the bride on her wedding day. "We stress the beauty of the moment for the bride," Mr. Pellegrini said. "We also offer a unique menu for that special day and prepare each dish using the freshest ingredients and highest-quality meats."

Over the past few years, the economy has taken a toll on the catering industry as couples looking to get married are scaling back on wedding expenses. However, Mr. Pellegrini said his group is the exception.

"Other catering halls saw their business starting to stagnate. The catering business has been down over the past three years, but we did not experience that downturn," he said. "We are fortunate to have an Executive Chef in our group who offers a fresh perspective on the catering industry and someone who knows the business end of the industry as well."

For more information, visit www.gardencitycaterers.com.