Philip Stone Caterers merges with CulinArt

LAKE SUCCESS - CulinArt, a $90-million food service provider based in Lake Success, merged late last month with Philip Stone Caterers, a $6 million concern based in Merrick. The announcement was delayed by a month as clients were being notified.

Stone Caterers and its kosher division, Regal

Stone said the merger will allow him to concentrate on upscale events catering, such as weddings, bar mitzvahs, galas and corporate functions, while ceding the administrative work to CulinArt. Stone employs 25 full-time, and another 100 part-time wait staff.

Culinart's business is largely in institutional catering - university and corporate cafeterias and eateries in office buildings, museums and North Shore-LIJ Health System facilities. It employs 1,200, which swells to 1,600 in summer when seasonal facilities like the concessions at Rye Playland open.

As part of the deal, CulinArt will assume management of Stone's five corporate dining rooms on the Island.

Stone, a 40-year-old business, is the exclusive caterer for events at the Nassau County Bar Association, Omni Diner in Uniondale, Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, and Coindre Hall in Huntington. He is hoping the merger will open up the door for his company to do events catering at CulinArt clients like the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

This is the sixth merger or acquisition for CulinArt in five years, including three in 2000 alone. Its revenues have more than doubled in the past two years.