the Hamptons
Corporate and foundation events in the Hamptons: retreats, client dinners, galas and benefits
Corporate and foundation event catering in the Hamptons follows New York City pricing: $65–275 a person across formats in 2026, with a working lunch at $35–75, a plated gala dinner at $95–160 or $150–275 depending on the source, and a standing reception with five passes and two stations at $110–130 plus $25–60 for the bar. Catering is 35–45% of a gala budget. Lead times run 6–12 months for a gala or conference, 4–6 months for a retreat or client dinner, and 4–8 weeks for 50–100 guests.
Last updated · Reviewed by Sagaponack Catering Co.
The events
The corporate Hamptons is a summer calendar and a benefit calendar. Summer: a client dinner at a rented house, a partners' retreat with three days of meals, a hospitality tent at the Hampton Classic (August 23–30, 2026, with a $400,000 Grand Prix on the final Sunday), a table at the polo (Polo Hamptons, July 18 and 25, 2026), a screening party during the Hamptons International Film Festival (October 2–12, 2026). Benefit season: the foundation galas and garden parties that run June through August at private estates, museums and conservancies, where catering is 35–45% of the budget and the guest count is decided by the host committee three weeks before the caterer needs it.
What it costs (2026)
| Format | NYC range |
|---|---|
| Full-service corporate catering, overall | $65–275 a person by style, headcount and venue |
| Working lunch | $35–75 a person; boxed, platters or a salad bar $16–55+ |
| Plated gala dinner (150–500 guests) | $150–275 a person in one source; $95–160 in another, recorded as a spread |
| Standing reception, five passes and two stations | $110–130 a person in food; $25–60 more for alcohol |
| Fees on top | 18–22% gratuity or administrative fee plus sales tax; a $100 quote lands at $125–130 |
These are New York City figures, which is what the caterers who work the corporate Hamptons charge; Suffolk County's sales tax is 8.75% rather than the city's 8.875%, and New York taxes the whole catering charge, including a service charge unless it is a separately stated gratuity paid entirely to staff.
Lead times
Six to twelve months for a gala or a conference; four to six for a retreat, a holiday party or a client dinner; four to eight weeks for 50–100 guests; simple events in one to two weeks. The Hamptons adds a season: a client dinner in July competes with weddings for the same caterers and the same staff, and a company that wants a particular kitchen in August books it in the spring. A third of all catering orders nationally land in the fourth quarter, and December 9 is the busiest single day, so a holiday party is a September booking.
The house as venue
Most corporate entertaining out east happens at a rented house, and the rented house has rules: the Town of East Hampton and the Town of Southampton both require a permit for gatherings above a threshold at private residences, tents over 200 square feet need a permit and a flame certificate, and the noise codes set hours for amplified music. A benefit that sells tickets and serves alcohol needs a licensed caterer holding a caterer's permit ($38, up to 24 hours); a private client dinner with an open bar does not. We say which applies before the caterer calls.
Staffing a gala
A plated dinner for 300 is a plated dinner for 300: one server per 10–12 guests, one chef per 40 covers, a head chef above 75, one bartender per 50 and a captain per floor. A 10-hour gala with 20 staff at $30 an hour adds $1,200 or more in overtime on top of the base, which is why the good proposals state the hours.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need a permit for a party at my Hamptons house?
Often, and the trigger depends on which of the nine towns the house is in. In the Town of East Hampton (Montauk, Amagansett, Wainscott, Springs), a gathering of 50 or more at a residence, amplified outdoor music after 9 p.m., or a tent of 700 square feet or more needs a special-event permit filed 21–60 days ahead by headcount, with a $2 million policy naming the Town. Inside East Hampton Village any catered event needs a Village permit, 21 days out or a $250 rush fee. The Town of Southampton (Bridgehampton, Water Mill) writes its rules for public events but wants 48 hours’ notice above 50 guests and a Fire Marshal permit for any tent over 200 square feet. Sagaponack Village permits any gathering at private property, one a year per residence as its code is summarised. Beaches, rentals and alcohol have their own rules.
Read the full answer →How many servers and bartenders do I need for 100 guests?
For a plated dinner, 8–10 servers (one per 10–12 guests, one per 8 for a complex menu) and two bartenders (one per 50); for a buffet, 4–5 servers (one per 20–25) and the same two bartenders; for a standing cocktail party, one server per 20–25 and one bartender per 50, one per 40 on a hot night. In the kitchen, one chef per 40 covers plated, one per 50 buffet, one per 60 for cocktail service, with a head chef above 75 guests. One East Hampton caterer publishes its own version: one staff member per 10–12 guests, a four-person minimum and five-hour minimum shifts. A New York staffing agency lists waitstaff at $27 an hour, bartenders at $30, a captain at $35 and a chef at $50, with five-hour minimums.
How does Sagaponack Catering Co. work?
You tell us about the event once: what it is, when, roughly how many, where in the Hamptons, and the style if you have a preference. We put you in touch with one caterer who does that kind of event at that size in that town, insured and cooking from a permitted kitchen, and they call you within one business day. From there it is their tasting, their proposal, their contract and their staff. It is free for hosts; participating caterers pay us a referral fee for the introduction. We are not a caterer and we do not sell your details; the one company we send you to is the only one that gets your number. We cover 9 South Fork towns and 6 kinds of events.
Related
Other services
Wedding Catering
Hamptons wedding catering from $150 to $400+ a head, the fee and tax lines that follow, the staffing behind a plated dinner for 150, and the 18-to-24-month calendar for a summer Saturday.
Rehearsal Dinners & Welcome Parties
The Friday of a Hamptons wedding weekend: a seated dinner for 30 at the house, a clambake for 80 or a welcome party for the whole list. Formats, 2026 costs, minimums and the traffic that decides the start time.
Private Dinner Parties
Eight, twelve or twenty-four at the table at the house: private-chef packages from $700 to $4,500 all-in, what a caterer does differently, how much notice each needs, and the August surcharge.
Cocktail Parties & Receptions
Passed hors d’oeuvres at $3–7 a piece, a cocktail hour at about $25 a guest, a full standing reception at $110–130 before drinks, the bar packages, and the staff a party of 80 on a lawn actually needs.
Holiday & Off-Season Parties
The other eight months: Thanksgiving, December parties, New Year’s Eve, Presidents’ Day and spring. Why winter is easy to book and hard to staff, the lead times, and the menu when the farm stands are closed.
Book a caterer for corporate events
Ninety seconds: the event, the date, the headcount, the town. One insured, permitted Hamptons caterer who does this kind of event calls you within one business day. Free for hosts; nobody else gets your number.
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