In a tent, under the stars, in a great hall or at a spot with a great view, Abigail Kirsch Off-Premises Catering handles about 300 events per year.
The Tarrytown-based company can accommodate 25 to 3,000 off-site guests. For the 2004 Republican National Convention, Abigail Kirsch fed 10,000 at Madison Square Garden.
The company reports that catering budgets are down this year and that the average event has fewer attendees than before the recession.
The company”™s 100 employees ply the roads in six trucks. It was founded in 1975.
Typical events are product launches and gala fundraisers for nonprofits.
Besides the Republicans, notable soirees have been catered at the New York Botanical Gardens and the Whitney Museum. The company has ventured as far as Florida to cater an event.
As little as two weeks notice is required to stage an event.
“Menus start at approximately $35 per guest for food (at) a cocktail party,” a company spokesperson said. “Bar selection, personnel and equipment rental are additional.”