Gourmet Caterers
Gourmet Caterers is a privately held, family-owned Boston caterer founded in 1973 serving corporate events, weddings, nonprofits, and cultural institutions across New England. It operates exclusive venue partnerships (BSO, Peabody Essex Museum, JFK Library) and runs the Gourmet @ Work corporate dining brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gourmet Caterers does
Gourmet Caterers, founded in 1973 by the Wiggins family and Joe DiCicco in Roslindale, Massachusetts, is a privately held, family-owned hospitality and contract foodservice company headquartered at 931 Hyde Park Avenue, Boston. The firm operates four brands under the 'Gourmet Hospitality' umbrella: Gourmet Caterers (event catering for weddings, social occasions, corporate functions, and nonprofit galas), Gourmet @ Work (workplace dining and corporate cafe management, established through the 2005 acquisition of Olson and Uptown Cafe Services), Peppers Artful Events (sustainability-focused catering, acquired 2022), and Catering by Andrew (New England's leading kosher caterer, acquired 2024). Core technical capabilities include in-house culinary operations, two Freight Farms hydroponic container gardens producing 2-6 tons of produce annually, and event design services, with sourcing concentrated within 100 miles of the commissary.
The company serves four primary customer segments: corporate clients (events up to 10,000 attendees, including tech, finance, real estate, and legal firms), wedding couples, nonprofit organizations, and social event hosts, plus an institutional food service segment covering cultural institutions and corporate offices. Distribution is anchored by exclusive or preferred catering partnerships at 14+ prestigious New England venues, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Symphony Hall and Tanglewood, served through a joint venture with Sodexo Live! called 'Boston Gourmet'), Peabody Essex Museum (exclusive vendor), JFK Presidential Library, deCordova Sculpture Park, and multiple Trustees of Reservations properties. Customer acquisition runs through a sales-led 'Request a Quote' web model reinforced by venue channel referrals and WeddingWire social proof.
The revenue model is a mix of one-time per-event catering contracts, recurring managed food service contracts (institutional cafe operations and corporate dining subscriptions), and professional services revenue from event design. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with contract durations ranging from single events to multi-year institutional agreements. Historical milestones include managing Fenway Park food service from 1986 to 2001, the 2005 entry into corporate dining, and three acquisitions over the last two decades that built out the multi-brand portfolio. The company reports 101-250 employees, serves the New England region (Boston, Metro-West, and the Berkshires), and has stated a long-term commitment to remaining privately and family owned.
Gourmet Caterers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gourmet Caterers
- Legal name
- Gourmet Caterers
- Website
- https://gourmetcaterers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Gourmet Caterers is a privately held, family-owned Boston caterer founded in 1973 serving corporate events, weddings, nonprofits, and cultural institutions across New England. It operates exclusive venue partnerships (BSO, Peabody Essex Museum, JFK Library) and runs the Gourmet @ Work corporate dining brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gourmet Caterers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Catering and Food Services
- NAICS
- Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (722310)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB)
Keywords
Where Gourmet Caterers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Gourmet Caterers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Event Catering Services: Full-service catering for weddings, social events, corporate functions, and nonprofit galas. Revenue generated through per-event catering contracts with pricing based on guest count, menu selection, and service requirements.
- Food Service Management: Day-to-day cafe management and ongoing food service operations at cultural institutions and corporate offices. Includes customized menu development and large event hosting for recurring institutional clients.
- Design Services: Brand consulting, graphic design, visual styling, event signage, menu board design, and restaurant concept development for clients.
- Gourmet at Work (Corporate Dining): Workplace dining services including daily meal provision, custom menus, healthy options, and fresh ingredients for corporate clients. Extended through 2005 acquisition of Olson Cafe Services and Uptown Cafe Services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom event catering - pricing varies by event type and requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Gourmet Caterers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gourmet Caterers is a Boston-based caterer providing full-service event catering for weddings, corporate functions, social occasions, and nonprofit fundraisers, alongside ongoing food service management for cultural institutions, design/branding services for events, and workplace corporate dining through its Gourmet at Work division. The company serves events ranging from intimate dinners to corporate functions of up to 10,000 attendees across New England and beyond.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gourmet @ Work: Workplace dining and corporate food services, providing Masterful cooking, custom menus, healthy options, and fresh ingredients for today's workforce.
- Peppers Artful Events
- Catering by Andrew
Products and services
- Event Catering Services Full-service catering for social events, corporate functions, weddings, and nonprofit fundraisers, including customized menus, professional event coordination, and service staff. Accommodates events from intimate dinners to corporate functions of up to 10,000 attendees.
- Food Service Management Day-to-day cafe management and ongoing food service operations for cultural institutions and corporate offices, including customized menu development and large event hosting for recurring institutional clients.
- Design Services
- Gourmet at Work (Corporate Dining) Workplace dining services for corporate clients including daily meal provision, custom menus, healthy options, and fresh ingredients, delivered through ongoing meal programs at corporate offices.
- Peppers Artful Events Sustainability-focused catering services offered as a wholly owned sub-brand under Gourmet Hospitality, serving environmentally conscious events and clients.
- Catering by Andrew Kosher catering services offered as a wholly owned sub-brand under Gourmet Hospitality, serving kosher-observant events and clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ability to serve up to 10,000 person corporate events
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gourmet Caterers
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Gourmet Caterers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Gourmet Caterers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and general.
- Sodexo Live!coreGourmet Caterers, in partnership with Sodexo Live! (one of the nation's leading entertainment venue hospitality providers), formed 'Boston Gourmet' to serve the Boston Symphony Orchestra as its exclusive caterer for Symphony Hall and Tanglewood venues. This is a flagship strategic partnership for BSO's premier performance venues.
- Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO)coreExclusive food service provider for the BSO's two performance venues: Symphony Hall in Boston and Tanglewood in the Berkshires. The company has a long-standing history with the BSO and serves as the preferred caterer for high-profile fundraising and corporate events.
- Artists For HumanitykeyVenue Partner for Artists For Humanity EpiCenter in Boston. The EpiCenter, named one of top 10 green buildings in the nation, offers events from intimate dinners for 50 to cocktail receptions for 800. Voted Best Industrial Venue by Boston Magazine and Best Large Venue by Improper Bostonian.
- Peabody Essex MuseumkeyExclusive catering partnership at Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Gourmet is the exclusive vendor for this prestigious cultural institution, serving as the required caterer for all events at the venue. Featured in Boston Magazine as an exceptional wedding venue.
- The Trustees of ReservationskeyPreferred catering partner for multiple Trustees properties including deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Long Hill, Fruitlands Museum, The Bradley Estate, The Barn on Crane Estate, and The Great House on Crane Estate. Multiple venue partnerships across New England.
- John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & MuseumkeyVenue partnership at JFK Presidential Library & Museum on Boston Harbor. Gourmet brings contemporary sensibility to I.M. Pei's architectural design while ensuring classic detail and elegance. Historical partnership dating to early company reputation building.
- Hampton by Hilton & Homewood Suites by Hilton Boston Seaport DistrictgeneralCatering partnership at the Hampton by Hilton and Homewood Suites Boston Seaport District, offering event space including Joseph T. O'Callahan Ballroom (capacity 350), meeting rooms, and outdoor decks with water views.
- Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States SenategeneralVenue partnership at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute offering unique space for cultural, corporate, educational, and non-profit events with 68,000 square feet including full-scale Senate Chamber representation.
- John Joseph Moakley United States CourthousegeneralVenue partnership at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse offering multiple distinctive venues including the Atrium (800 capacity), Upper Galleries, Jury Assembly Hall, and Harbor Park waterfront property.
- Plimoth Patuxet MuseumsgeneralVenue partnership at Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth with multiple event spaces including Gainsborough Hall, Patuxet Room, Peabody Pavilion, and Craft Center Pavilion.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gourmet Caterers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Abigail Kirsch Catering: Premium New York tri-state event caterer serving weddings, corporate events, and cultural institutions. Comparable in high-end venue-based catering model and exclusive venue partnerships, though operating in the NYC market rather than New England.
- Legal Sea Foods Catering: Boston-rooted restaurant brand with established catering operations serving corporate and private events. Comparable in leveraging a Boston brand and venue relationships for catering revenue, though the core business is restaurant-driven.
Emerging players
- ezCater: Boston-headquartered corporate catering marketplace connecting businesses with local caterers. Competes indirectly by aggregating corporate catering demand and routing it to a broad caterer network, potentially disintermediating direct caterer relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Aramark: Global food service and facilities management provider with deep institutional and corporate dining presence. Comparable in offering corporate dining and institutional food service management, though at vastly greater scale across multiple verticals beyond catering.
- Restaurant Associates: Premium corporate dining and cultural-institution food service provider with strong Northeast presence. Comparable in serving museums, cultural institutions, and corporate clients with curated, hospitality-led food programs.
- Wolfgang Puck Catering: National premium event and corporate caterer serving weddings, galas, and corporate functions. Comparable in celebrity-chef-led, design-forward, high-touch catering positioning though with national rather than regional scope.
- Compass Group: World's largest contract foodservice company serving corporate, institutional, and event clients. Comparable in managed food service and institutional dining segments where Gourmet operates via Gourmet @ Work, though with global reach and broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- The Catered Affair: Boston-based full-service caterer serving weddings, corporate events, and social occasions in New England. Directly comparable operating model, geography, and customer segments; competes for the same venue partnerships and corporate clients as Gourmet Caterers.
- Sodexo Live!: Hospitality and catering provider specializing in entertainment, cultural, and sporting venues. Direct strategic partner with Gourmet via the Boston Gourmet JV for BSO Symphony Hall and Tanglewood, and a direct competitor for other venue catering contracts in the region.
- Distinctive Events (The Catered Affair parent): Massachusetts-based full-service catering and event design firm serving weddings and corporate clients in New England. Direct competitor for the same Boston-area weddings and corporate event accounts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gourmet Caterers social profiles
Digital presenceGourmet Caterers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gourmet Caterers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Gourmet Caterers subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Gourmet Caterers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gourmet Caterers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gourmet Caterers
What does Gourmet Caterers do?
Gourmet Caterers is a Boston-based caterer providing full-service event catering for weddings, corporate functions, social occasions, and nonprofit fundraisers, alongside ongoing food service management for cultural institutions, design/branding services for events, and workplace corporate dining through its Gourmet at Work division. The company serves events ranging from intimate dinners to corporate functions of up to 10,000 attendees across New England and beyond.
Is Gourmet Caterers a public or private company?
Gourmet Caterers is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Gourmet Caterers founded?
Gourmet Caterers was founded in 1973. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Gourmet Caterers based?
Gourmet Caterers is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gourmet Caterers make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Event Catering Services are the primary driver. The others are food Service Management, design Services and gourmet at Work (Corporate Dining).
Who are Gourmet Caterers's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Abigail Kirsch Catering and Legal Sea Foods Catering. ezCater is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Aramark, Restaurant Associates, Wolfgang Puck Catering and Compass Group. Direct peers are The Catered Affair, Sodexo Live! and Distinctive Events (The Catered Affair parent).
Does Gourmet Caterers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gourmet Caterers.
What industry is Gourmet Caterers in?
Gourmet Caterers's product category is Catering and Food Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAIAB, Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties). Its NAICS code is 722320 and its SIC code is 5810.