Find Your Light Foundation Gala | Jazz at Lincoln Center
This past October, we were honored to support the Find Your Light Foundation Gala, hosted by Josh Groban. Find Your Light’s work has long championed creativity as a pathway to confidence, opportunity, and joy — a belief deeply shared by Great Performances and our partners at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
One of the highlights of the evening was the Foundation’s tribute to Sesame Street, a cultural touchstone that has shaped generations through music, curiosity, and compassion. Their performance brought an unmistakable energy to the room — made even more charming by the surprise rubber duckies gifted to every guest, a playful nod that quickly became the unofficial icon of the night.
Beyond the celebration, the gala underscored something essential: when organizations rooted in the arts come together — Find Your Light through arts-education grants, Jazz at Lincoln Center through youth development and fellowships, and Great Performances through our long-standing commitment to nurturing emerging talent and creative communities — the impact multiplies. This shared mission continues to guide our growing collaboration.
Event Gallery
Event Menu
- Mighty Mushroom Maki Roll
- Carrot Tartare Cup
- Butternut & Fig Tartlet
- Lobster Roll
- Rare Seared Tuna with Apple–Celery Root Remoulade
- Grilled Chicken Taco with Chili Crema
- Boneless Lamb Chop with Mint Chimichurri
- Spaghetti & Meatball Bite
New York Steakhouse Station
Strip Steak
Smoked Cedar-Planked Salmon
Truffled Orecchiette
Wild Mushrooms
Twice-Baked Creamed-Spinach Potatoes
Waldorf Salad
Parker House Rolls
Classic Steak Sauces
Dim Sum Station
Vegetable and Chicken Dumplings
Short Rib and Eggplant Bao Buns
Vegetable Fried Rice
Crispy Noodles
Seaweed–Cucumber Salad with Traditional Accompaniments
Desserts
Cheesecake Lollipops
Fruit Tartlets
Key Lime Tartlets
Chocolate–Raspberry Truffles
S’Mores Squares
Carrot–Ginger Cake
We had an especially colorful and delicious pride this year! Although we celebrate diversity throughout the year, we pull out the stops during the months honoring the various groups.
We kicked off Pride with special request from our team at Trinity, which became the décor across our venues during Pride. Our celebrations included several events across New York including First Saturday at Brooklyn Museum, events at Asia Society, and at Rockefeller University.
Decorating for Pride
by Alexander Belmont, Venue Merchandising Manager
From free gender affirming haircuts for local high school students, to hosting a queer prom each year, Kenya came to me with the desire for Trinity Cafe’s seasonal decor to reflect the dedication Trinity Church Wall Street has towards the LGBTQIA+ community. While putting up the window decor, a repurpose of photo booth props and a large vintage hued rainbow garland, the installation enticed pedestrians to walk up to the window and peek through to discover what was inside a building they had glazed over times before. The rainbow of colors summer succulents come in presented a neat opportunity to create small floral designs representing each individual pride flag to fully encompass inclusivity. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I am proud to be able to work with an organization that is just as excited for pride as I am.
Rockefeller University Pride Celebration
Location: Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Guest Count: 250
Date: June 28, 2024
Event Planner: Jessi Owens, Catering Director, The Rockefeller University
Each year, The Rockefeller University hosts a Pride Celebration for it’s students, faculty and staff. It’s a fun, interactive gathering for all and included a photobooth, a swag station where folks could decorate a hat with Pride-themed and self-identifying pins, a rainbow-themed dessert table, and a drag show hosted by New York’s own Jaclynn Hyde!
Following the fabulous performance, dessert stations of grilled-to-order s’mores and Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream remained open as guests danced the night away to the beats of Rockefeller University’s own DJ Marlin.
Special thanks to Broadway Party Rentals who custom made the buffet screens that were thoughtfully designed to reflect the Pride flag.
It was a fun, festive, and colorful event!
Pride Celebration Menu
America BBQ Station
Beef Brisket classic bbq
Carolina Chicken mustard bbq
Beer Bratwurst spicy mustard
Grilled Tempeh blueberry bbq
Sweet Potato & Scallion Salad
Classic Cole Slaw
Mac & Cheese Bites
Latin Seafood Station
Classic Seafood Paella Spanish yellow rice, seasonal shellfish and mollusks
Salmon Ceviche
Vegetable Tamales
Chili Bean Salad
Tostones
Brazilian Steakhouse
Peri Peri Grilled Chicken
Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin
Grilled Top Sirloin chimichurri
Vegan Chimichurri Sausage
Brazilian Style Chopped Salad romaine, green olives, tomatoes, red peppers, fresh herbs, lime vinaigrette
Brazilian Cheese Bread
Desserts
Rockin’ Dots birthday cake, cotton candy, banana split, rainbow ice
S’Mores classic, cookies n cream, reeses, mint
Rainbow Dessert Table
Fruity Pebble Rice Crispy Treats
Rainbow Popcorn
Madeleines
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Funfetti Cake Pops
Funnel Cakes
Leo Bar Happy Hour Celebrating Pride Month
Venue: Leo Cafe at Asia Society
Guest Count: 250
Date: June 20, 2024
Event Planner: Karla Jovel, Event Director
Asia Society and The Human Rights Campaign celebrated LGBTQIA+ Pride Month with a special Leo Bar Happy Hour event on June 20. A fabulous evening of networking featured a special performance by actor, singer, and producer Lora Nicolas Olaes.
Following the program, guests enjoyed music by DJ Kai Song along with cocktails and snacks, and were invited to check out Asia Society’s current exhibition, COAL + ICE.
We created two specialty cocktails for the event:
Out & Proud Cocktail
aperol, tequila, pineapple, elderflower syrup
Out & Proud Zero Proof Mocktail
pineapple, grenadine, club soda, butterfly pea
Celebrating Our Employees at Our Holiday Party at Wollman Rink
As much as we love to Unleash Joy through Genuine Hospitality for our clients and their guests, we especially love to do it for and with each other. Each year we take a moment to celebrate each other at our holiday party, and this year, for the third year, we’ve held it at Wollman Rink.
It’s the perfect venue for a fun celebration of reconnecting with team members we may not see as often and enjoying moments of camaraderie as we take a spin (or a stumble!) across the ice.
Check out our gallery of photos below!
FEATURED EVENT: BEAT THE HEAT AT THE GLASSHOUSE
By Great Performances
We celebrated summer with some of our friends in the legal industry with a happy hour at The Glasshouse. Hosted by us, Glasshouses, and By Invitation Only Ltd., our summer soiree featured delicious foods, including offerings from our friends at Ichiban and Red Oyster, beautiful music, and stunning views.
Check out our photo gallery and menu below!
Our menu included a variety of globally-inspired flavors and included farm-fresh ingredients from our organic farm, Katchkie Farm, in the Hudson Valley.
Passed Hors d’Oeuvres
- Green Chickpea Pani Puri
- Carrot Tartare Cup
- Ginger Celery Tomato Chutney on Wild Rice Crisps
- Tuna in a Bird Nest
Lettuce Wrap Station
- Asado Negro Short Rib Cabbage Wrap
- Basil Roasted Summer Squash Lettuce Wrap
- Spicy Thai Chicken Lettuce Wrap
Shaved Ice Station
- Jolly Rancher Watermelon Syrup
- Lemonhead Syrup
- Atomic Fireball Syrup
To learn more about Great Performances and how we can help you create a memorable event, complete the form below.
FEATURED EVENT: CELEBRATING PRIDE AT ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY
By Great Performances
We had a blast celebrating Pride Month at Rockefeller University! They asked us to cater four hours of happiness and include a variety of grab-and-go, fun foods for about 200 people.
Jessi Owens, Catering Director, crafted a delicious menu around some key stations including an international hot dog station that included Banh Mi, New York, Italian, and Mexican inspired hot dog toppings; an Asian station; and rainbow themed candy and dessert station.
With beautiful, colorful, and dazzling trays created and curated by our inhouse Design Team, the event was a delicious, visually stunning affair with lots of excitement, laughter, and camaraderie.
Check out the gallery below.
STEAKHOUSE
Chef Carved Steak
Herb Roasted Salmon
Classic Wedge Salad
Twice Baked Potatoes
Coconut Creamed Spinach
Steak Sauces
Horseradish Cream
Chimichurri
Mustard Sauce
INTERNATIONAL HOT DOG STAND
Bánh Mì Style
pickled vegetable slaw, sriracha mayo
New York Style
sauerkraut, spicy mustard
Italian Sausage
peppers, onions
Mexican Style
guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapenos (Vegan)
Salads
Italian Pasta Salad
Classic Potato Salad
Asian Slaw
ASIAN STATION
Orange Chicken
Kung Pao Cauliflower
Vegetable Fried Rice
Assorted Steamed Dumplings
Shrimp Shumai
Edamame
Chicken Lemongrass
Assorted Sushi Rolls by Bondi Sushi
Seaweed Salad
Steamed Edamame
FEATURED EVENT:
TELEVISAUNIVISION UPFRONT AT PIER 36
By Great Performances
On May 16, we were thrilled to be the catering partners for TelevisaUnivision’s upfront at Pier 36 (Basketball City). Their team was incredible to work with and it was a fun challenge to design a menu that matched their creativity, vision, and theme “Grow with Us.”
Our custom menu included items from all over the Latin diaspora, and we were able to include The Sylvia Center, who they had featured in a segment in March. We also customized vessels and food sizes to match the branded items they provided, including empanada sleeves and stirrers.
We also worked with La Newyorkina, a local Latin vendor we partner with regularly and feature as part of our People’s Kitchen program.
The Menu
Passed Hors d’Oeuvres
- Poblano Chicken Salad, Yukon Gold Potato Crisp
- Grilled Skirt Steak, Chimichurri, Plantain Crisp
- Short Rib Tostada, Corn Tortilla, Radish, Cilantro, Chipotle Crema, Chili Demi-Glace
- Fluke Ceviche, Leche de Tigre, Cilantro, Red Jalapeño, Rice Crisp
- Grilled Shrimp, Adobo, Olives
- Maiz Tostado con Aji Amarillo
Empanada Station
- Chicken Adobo, Crema de Rocoto
- Spinach, Mushroom, and Manchego
- Puerto Rican Beef & Plantain
- Apple Nutella
El Caribe Station
- Pollo Guisado with Yellow Rice, Cucumber, Pepper Slaw
- The Sylvia Center Jicama Slaw
- Grilled Mahi Mahi, Coconut Pineapple Salsa
- Yucca Frito con Huancaína
Casa Havana Station
- Cuban Sandwiches
- Ropa Vieja with Yellow Rice
- Plantain Chips
Ranchito Station
- Quinoa Stuffed Enchiladas, Salsa Verde
- Braised Short Rib Quesadilla
- Avocado Tostadas
- Grilled Corn Salad
Dessert Station
- Cinnamon Churros
- Guava and Cheese Hand Pies
- Fruit Skewers with Chamoy and Tajin
CELEBRATING THE GRAND OPENING OF PLATFORM BY THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION
By Great Performances
This month we’re celebrating the long-anticipated opening of Platform by the James Beard Foundation™ and Good To Go by JBF™ at the Market 57 food hall at Hudson River Park’s Pier 57. We’re thrilled to have been selected as the service and hospitality partner providing the behind-the-scenes operational and logistical expertise of the James Beard Foundation (JBF) spaces.
The physical manifestation of JBF’s Good Food for Good® mission—Platform features a state-of-the-art show kitchen, event space, and educational hub for JBF’s outstanding culinary arts programming, while Good To Go is a retail incubator for fast casual concepts featuring rotating menus from established operators who embody JBF’s mission and values.
Trusted Partners with a Shared Mission
Great Performances’ long history of partnership and collaboration with the James Beard Foundation continues at Market 57 at Platform by the James Beard Foundation and Good to Go by JBF. We’re delighted and honored to be selected as the operational and logistical partners to bring the Foundation’s Good Food for Good® mission to life at the show kitchen and the kiosk.
The Foundation’s mission aligns closely with Great Performances’ deep roots in the arts, New York City civic and community life, and established commitment to furthering equity in all its endeavors and serve as guideposts for the decisions that we make together to drive the success of the new venture.
“We are thrilled to announce Great Performances as our operational partner for Platform by the James Beard Foundation and Good To Go by JBF,” said Kris Moon, COO and President of the James Beard Foundation. “From the outset of this project, Great Performances has shown true leadership—supporting us in our vision to ensure that business operations for our Pier 57 spaces were closely aligned to our mission and values. We are grateful to be working together, and look forward to championing a standard of sustainability, equity, and a future where all can thrive at Platform and Good to Go.”
Operational Excellence, Gracious Hospitality
We leveraged our expertise running kitchens, restaurants, cafes, food trucks, and kiosks, providing best practices for kitchen and back of house layouts, establishing service guidelines, and recruiting, vetting, hiring and managing the staff that will ensure that day-to-day operations are executed with excellence. While the James Beard Foundation will provide the programming, including a weekly chef-in-residence program launching in May, our front and back of house teams will work to support resident and visiting talent, while helping to ensure that every guest enjoys the professional, intuitive, and gracious service that are hallmarks of Great Performances’ (and JBF’s!) hospitality.
Sustainable Sourcing, Thoughtful Consumption
As the nation’s first caterer to own and operate an organic farm, Great Performances’ constantly sets the bar for sourcing, sustainability, and waste reduction in the catering and hospitality industry. We’re working closely with JBF and the guest chefs to implement our food waste reduction, sustainable sourcing, and sustainable packaging practices at Pier 57.
Dynamic, Enriching, and Delicious Experiences
From the first night, when JBF welcomes legendary chefs Jacques Pépin, Michel Nischan, and friends to Pier 57, we’ll kick off an incredible culinary adventure together. Through weekly chef-in residence events, exciting dinners, wine tastings, cooking demos, hands-on culinary classes, interactive exhibits, book signings, industry trainings, and more, guests will enjoy dynamic and enriching experiences at Platform by JBF.
Next door is Good To Go by JBF, an incubator for fast-casual concepts by established operators who embody JBF’s mission and values. These menus will only be available for a short time, so we encourage everyone to visit – and to visit often.
For full details about Platform and Good To Go and to reserve your tickets to Platform events. visit the Platform by JBF website at https://www.platformbyjbf.org/. We can’t wait to welcome you to our table!
TOP TEAM BUILDING EVENTS AND LOCATIONS
By Great Performances
Part of any smart human resources and executive team’s plan should include team building activities. Team building encourages collaboration, improves communication, builds trust, increases motivation, and heightens morale. Activities include anything from holiday parties, team outings, workshops, and, a growing trend, volunteer days.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite venues and activities for team building that provide a wide variety of events and activities for your teams. Need help finding a venue or planning an event? One of our event planners can help you out (P.S. these are also great for client engagement, welcoming summer associates, or new team member orientation).
Top 12 Team Building Activities
The Situation Room at SPYSCAPE HQ
CityPickle at Wollman Rink
Volunteer Projects with GrowNYC
Exhibit tour at Brooklyn Museum followed by a meal at The Norm
SummerStage Concerts this summer in Central Park
Interactive Experiences at Poster House
A peaceful Retreat at Wave Hill
Amateur Night at Apollo Theater
Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure
Glamping on Governor’s Island
Rooftop Happy Hour at New York Aquarium
Visit Little Island and then have lunch at Pier 57 featuring the Good to Go kiosk by James Beard Foundation
Our event planners are experts at planning all sorts of events – including team building activities that can fit all group sizes and types. From outdoor sporting events to indoor exhibit tours and everything in between, we can plan an event for your team!
Favorite Venues for Team Building
Wollman Rink
CityPickle is bringing the country’s fastest growing sport to Wollman Rink in Central Park! The rink will house 14 courts – the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast – with 196 hours of pickleball daily. The perfect outdoor casual sport for your group. Refreshments packages are also available for order, catered directly to your group on the court.
Brooklyn Museum & The Norm
From a modern glass and steel pavilion to the grandeur of the Beaux-Arts Court, the Brooklyn Museum has a space to fit your event.
The Brooklyn Museum offers a variety of Special Events perfect for teambuilding including: Pints & Prints, Outdoor Yoga on the Stoop, and Art History Hour in The Norm.
Your group could always take a guided tour of the latest exhibits and end with a delicious lunch at The Norm.
SummerStage at Central Park
This summer marks our third year as the food and beverage partner for Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage located in Central Park. With an amazing line up of performances, it’s a great place to enjoy the best of NYC summer.
Wave Hill
Conveniently located 30 minutes from Midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s renowned gardens and spectacular views of the Hudson River provide the perfect setting for team-building retreats, off-site conferences, meetings, and corporate events. Wave Hill House, our historic Hudson River mansion, fully engages your attendees’ senses by “bringing the outside in.”
Regular programming also includes Cooking Demos, Forest Bathing, Yoga on the Lawn, and Concerts on the Great Lawn.
Poster House
An extraordinary venue for design connoisseurs, culture mavens, and everyone who enjoys having fun, Poster House is a hidden gem nestled between the art galleries of Chelsea and the dynamic NoMad and Flatiron districts. The award-winning space offers meeting areas, workshop space, and a conference room, with posters providing color, fun, and inspiration for your team gatherings.
Poster House offers variety of Guided Tours, Interactive Experiences, and – for a more budget-friendly option – First Fridays!
Brooklyn Academy of Music
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), located in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood, is recognized internationally for its innovative programming of dance, music, theater, musical theater, and opera. Founded in 1861, it is America’s oldest continuously operating performing arts center, and it still recognized worldwide for its bold, contemporary productions and its celebration of international musicians, choreographers, and theater companies.
Group Tickets are available for most seasonal productions. For a more intimate experience, BAMcafe hosts BAMcafe Live every month, featuring free music by artists from around the world.
Caramoor
This 90-acre historic estate in Katonah, NY is home to one of the area’s largest music festivals and one of our top wedding venues, a testament to its beauty. With space for everyone to spread out and enjoy field activities, Caramoor also has intriguing spaces, a reception tent, and areas for formal and informal dining.
In addition to their famous Concerts on the Lawn, Caramoor also offers Afternoon Tea sessions throughout the Spring & Summer.
Apollo Theater
Established in 1934, the legendary Harlem theater has housed some of music’s most talented performers in the world.
Designated a national landmark, the Apollo has launched the careers of icons such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Lauryn Hill and continues to maintain its position as the nation’s most popular arena for emerging and established African-American and Latino performers.
Their famous Amateur Nights provide a great outting. They also offer Educational Programming and Workshops for adults.
Central Park Zoo
This tranquil oasis has become one of our favorite spaces. Whether sipping cocktails as our sea lions glide gracefully through the water or strolling through the lush gardens taking in the elegant architecture, your guests will experience an exotic environment set against a classic New York City backdrop.
Governors Island
Easily accessible to NYC via ferry, Governors Island is the perfect spot for an outdoor or indoor team building event. With plenty of outdoor space that can accommodate large event with tents, stages, and more; and indoor space that’s perfect for retreats, workshops, and meetings, there’s a solution for everyone. Governors Island also is home to QC NY Spa, a destination day spa, and Collective Retreats for a luxury glamping experience.
Ready to start planning? Complete the form below and one of our expert event planners will be in touch shortly!
#BLACKVISIONARIES AT THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM
Celebrating the launch of the 2022 #BlackVisionaries program with Instagram and The Brooklyn Museum
By Great Performances
For the third year in a row, Instagram is partnering with the Brooklyn Museum and the curator Antwaun Sargent to invest in emerging creative communities. Building on the 2021 #BlackDesignVisionaries grant program, the 2022 program aims to uplift, center and invest in Black voices and organizations working across both art and design.
Instagram, Antwaun and the Brooklyn Museum believe that impactful ideas happen at the intersection of art and design. This year, with the support of Meta Open Arts, they are opening up their grants to visual artists, as well. The new name, #BlackVisionaries, reflects this expansion. #BlackVisionaries aims to deepen the impact of the grant program, which means expanding access to more Black creative communities. For more information about the #BlackVisionaries program visit this link.
Our team recently had the pleasure of hosting a luncheon party at the Brooklyn Museum to share the announcement of the program with emerging artists and designers. We loved the footage so much that we wanted to share it with you.
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WORKPLACE AND CORPORATE DINING FOOD TRENDS: WHAT EMPLOYEES WANT
By Great Performances
We work across dozens of organizations in the New York area providing food and dining solutions that range from catered events (e.g., breakfasts, lunches, board meetings, cocktail receptions) to creating full-service office dining solutions to keep teams nourished from breakfast through happy hour.
More than that just providing food, we’ve developed a robust amenities program to keep our clients and guests engaged and excited. Gone are the days of the “school lunch” style of food programming with the same set of meals rotated endlessly, regardless of season.
Alongside carefully thought out stations, our amenities include Pop!, events and activations that create special moments throughout the space and the day; Food Festivals, our monthly celebrations of seasonal, local produce; People’s Kitchen, our guest chef program; Embrace: Wellness, our wellness program focusing on food and health; and Katchkie Farm, our NOFA-certified organic farm in upstate New York, a source of inspiration and ingredients for our chefs and provider of our Workplace CSA program.
No solution that we implement is alike, but there are common themes we’re hearing from our clients and our guest through surveys, general feedback, and meetings.
Variety
Our guests have diverse palates and they actively seek out new flavors, dishes, and cuisines. They not interested in the standard “school lunch” style of food service; instead, they’re looking for delicious variety and excitement. From Bowling Greens, our salad station which features seasonal produce, including from Katchkie Farm, our organic farm in upstate New York, to People’s Kitchen, our guest chef program, we bring a wide variety of flavors to our diners.
Our experiences over four decades have also informed our development of the right menu selections for the appropriate group of guests. We set trends and follow them. We are attuned to the range of preferences within a population at a single company or at an event.
Comfort
Like our great city, each body of guests within our workplace partnerships contains a vast number of cultures, tastes, and preferences. Commonly requested cuisines can range from Mexican and Italian to Indian and Kosher, with many of the requested foods being described as “comfort food”. And while that term may not point to the same cuisine for everyone, it drives home a very important point: guests want to be comforted by the food they are served during lunch.
Classic comfort dishes rotate throughout our menus and include standards like Chicken Parmesan and Butter Chicken Curry, and more modern interpretations including Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches and Eggplant Chermoula.
Guest Chefs
We live and work in a culturally diverse city. Our guests want flavors that represent their backgrounds and cultures and they’re looking for ways to travel to different places through food. And so we’ve developed People’s Kitchen, our guest chef program.
Originally a way to support local businesses and bring new flavors into our spaces, People’s Kitchen, led by Georgette Farkas, our culinary ambassador, has evolved into a comprehensive program through which we partner with chefs and restaurants across the greater New York City area. We feature several each month, sharing not just their food, but their story, background, and restaurant. Through this program we’ve been able to support local restaurants like Thaimee Love, Madame Vo, Hudson Smokehouse BBQ, Mimi Cheng’s, Awadh, Tanoreen, and so many others.
Excitement
An element of fun and excitement were also among our guests’ requests. We’re all familiar with water cooler conversation; imagine how much more buzz and conversation there will be with a more fun central gathering point. With Pop!, we create unique “pop up” experiences designed to give our guests an exciting opportunity to interact with their food. These include chef-manned stations where we offer made-to-order items like omelets or smoothies in the morning; tacos for Taco Tuesday; or even customized popcorn in the afternoon. We also partner with vendors to bring in fresh specialty items like churros by La NewYorkina; custom bubble teas by Yaya Tea; and cotton candy by fluff + fluff. We’ve even built custom candy “shops” and DIY trail mix stations. The possibilities are endless and create a lot of buzz in the office, giving everyone a chance to participate and connect.
Wellness
Guests are becoming increasingly conscious of the foods they put into their bodies. They’re looking for meals that fit within their nutrition preferences and requirements while maintaining the deliciousness for which Great Performances is known.
We created Embrace Wellness, our health and wellness program led by registered dietician nutritionist Emilia Sochovka, MS, RDN, CPT. Working with our workplace venues and our culinary team, Emilia helps ensure that the menu-writing process includes healthy, well-thought dishes designed to nourish our bodies so that our guests can feel healthy, happy, and energized. She also shares content, leads pop ups, and creates recipes for guests to enjoy.
Nourish Employee Engagement
Learn more about Workplace Dining Solutions by Great Performances