What Showstoppers does

Showstoppers New York, Inc. is a privately-held, full-service event planning and catering company founded more than three decades ago and operating in the New York metropolitan area, Hudson Valley, and Brooklyn. The company delivers integrated services across four productized lines: Corporate Events (galas, award ceremonies, press receptions, company celebrations), Weddings (ceremony and reception planning, floral design, custom menus), Social Events (holiday festivals, birthdays, private gatherings), and Catering. Its catering execution is led by named owners Tom and Lee working directly with executive chefs to design custom menus, positioned as 'non-cookie-cutter' cuisine for high-prestige clients. The company has documented access to more than 20 prestigious New York venues (Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Radio City Music Hall, Studio 54, Guggenheim, Whitney) and publicly lists 50+ clients across nonprofit, education, entertainment, fashion, financial services, healthcare, government, and retail verticals, including HBO, MTV, Sony Pictures, Harvard, Columbia, L'Oréal, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering.

The business model is direct-to-consumer professional services revenue: clients engage Showstoppers on a project basis for individual events, with no disclosed pricing tiers, recurring contracts, or SaaS-like revenue mechanics. Go-to-market is direct engagement — owners and chefs work directly with clients to design personalized menus and event execution — supplemented by a portfolio-style website with galleries, a client list, and a 'Scrapbook' featuring photos with high-profile figures (Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama) as social proof. There is no proprietary technology platform, no mobile app, no API, no integrations, and no AI/ML capability disclosed; the offering is fundamentally human-delivered culinary and event execution. Headcount is reported at 11–50 employees, the company is founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional or private equity ownership, and the operating footprint remains regional within the New York area.

Name

Showstoppers

Legal name

Showstoppers New York, Inc.

Website

https://showstoppersny.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Showstoppers New York, Inc. is a privately-held, founder-led full-service event planning and catering company serving corporate, wedding, and social clients across the New York metropolitan area and Hudson Valley for over three decades.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering and Planning Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232), Food Service Contractors (722310)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers (THAHABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Culinary Staffing & Back-of-House Services (Chefs, Servers, Bartenders) (THAHAKAN), Exclusive Dining Access & Chef’s Table Reservations (HSACAMAJ)

Keywords

• Event planning services
• Catering services
• Corporate event catering
• Wedding catering
• Custom menu design

Headquarters

HQ city

Catskill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Catering Services: Custom catering for corporate events, weddings, and social occasions. Food is described as 'dazzling to the eye as it is to the palate' with personalized menus designed directly with clients. The company emphasizes that nothing is 'cookie-cutter' about their cuisine.
2. Event Planning Services: Full-service event planning covering corporate events, weddings, and social occasions with venue coordination and food service.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Showstoppers New York, Inc. is a full-service event planning and catering company that provides custom catering and event orchestration for corporate events, weddings, and social occasions across the New York metropolitan area and Hudson Valley region. Owners Tom and Lee and executive chefs work directly with clients to design personalized menus and execute events at prestigious venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Radio City Music Hall, and Guggenheim Museum. The company positions itself as a one-stop provider of personalized, non-cookie-cutter cuisine and event experiences.

Product overview

Showstoppers New York, Inc. is a full-service event planning and catering company offering a unified suite of services centered around three core offerings: Corporate Events (galas, award ceremonies, press receptions), Wedding Services (ceremony and reception planning, floral design, custom menus), and Social Events (holiday festivals, celebrations). The company provides catering through executive chefs who create customized menus, and maintains partnerships with over 20 prestigious New York venues including museums, theaters, and historic landmarks. All services are delivered as an integrated package under the Showstoppers brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Events Full-service planning and execution of corporate events including galas, award ceremonies, press receptions, fundraisers, product launches, and company celebrations at prestigious New York venues. Targeted at corporate clients, educational institutions, media companies, and nonprofit organizations.
• Wedding Services Full-service wedding planning including reception arrangements, floral design, custom menu cards, and venue coordination for ceremonies and receptions. Includes plated dinners, buffets, and custom-designed menus tailored to the couple.
• Social Events Planning and hosting of social occasions including holiday festivals, birthday celebrations, anniversaries, and private social gatherings. Targeted at individuals and families hosting special personal events.
• Catering Services Custom catering designed directly with executive chefs Tom and Lee, featuring diverse cuisines from sushi to Italian pasta, plus baked goods and desserts. Menus are personalized to reflect each client's singular style and tastes, with no cookie-cutter offerings.
• Venue Partnerships Coordinated access to over 20 prestigious New York event venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Radio City Music Hall, Studio 54, Guggenheim Museum, and Whitney Museum. Provided as part of the company's full-service event offering.

Named customers24 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Restaurant Associates: Major NYC event and institutional catering operator serving corporate, cultural, and museum clients with full-service event planning and food service. Comparable in scope of corporate and venue-based catering, though typically operating at larger scale than Showstoppers.
• Great Performances: NYC-based catering and event company focused on corporate, cultural, and social events at marquee venues. Directly comparable in venue-driven event catering across corporate and cultural verticals in the New York market.
• Sonnier & Castle: NYC full-service event planning and catering firm serving weddings, corporate, and social events. Comparable in integrated event planning plus catering delivery and high-end private occasion focus.
• Abigail Kirsch Catering: Long-established NYC event caterer specializing in high-end weddings, corporate galas, and museum venue events. Directly comparable to Showstoppers in target client (prestige corporate, cultural institutions), venue ecosystem (NY museums and historic venues), and custom chef-driven catering model.
• Neuman's Kitchen: New York-based event catering company offering custom menus for weddings, corporate events, and social celebrations. Directly comparable in custom event catering across the same three verticals Showstoppers serves.
• Marcia Selden Catering: NYC event caterer known for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings with chef-driven custom menus. Directly comparable to Showstoppers in custom culinary positioning and tri-vertical (corporate, wedding, social) event catering.
• Peter Callahan Studio: NYC-based event design and catering studio focused on bespoke weddings, social events, and brand activations. Comparable to Showstoppers in high-end event customization and custom menu design for luxury clients.

Broad incumbents

• Compass Group: Multinational food services and event catering group with event and hospitality operations across corporate, cultural, and institutional segments. Comparable as a broad incumbent in event food services, though its scale and segment breadth place it far above Showstoppers' niche.
• Aramark: Global food services and event hospitality provider with a broad corporate catering and event portfolio. Comparable as a broad incumbent in corporate event catering, though Aramark operates at substantially larger scale and across all price tiers, rather than specializing in NYC prestige events.

Regional players

• Thomas Caterers of Distinction: Established U.S. event catering company with comparable service lines (custom menus, weddings, corporate galas). Comparable as a peer in high-end custom catering, but operates in different geographies and is not a head-to-head competitor in NYC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/showstoppersny
• Facebookfacebook.com/100063849918627
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/showstoppers-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Showstoppers