Who We Are

A Danny Meyer Concept

In 1985, Danny Meyer opened Union Square Cafe, launching what would become an iconic career in hospitality. Over the next three decades, Danny built Union Square Hospitality Group into a collection of New York City’s most cherished and celebrated dining destinations. In 2005, he founded Union Square Events, offering large-scale event services, foodservice solutions for public and private institutions, and concept development consulting through Hospitality Lab.

Although Danny is no longer involved in day-to-day operations, his legacy and principles continue to shape USE’s mission. Now led by Anthony Mastellone, a 30-year hospitality veteran, the company continues to grow its impact—bringing its signature approach to hospitality to new partners across New York City.

Enlightened Hospitality

Hospitality Lab by Union Square Events is well-known not just for its established reputation and knowledge in the industry, but also for its unique culture of Enlightened Hospitality. This unique approach puts our employees first because we believe attracting, hiring, and nurturing the right people is what sets our businesses apart. We aim to find individuals who embody our family values of excellence, hospitality, entrepreneurial spirit, and integrity.

Cutting-Edge R&D Kitchen

We pride ourselves on our state-of-the-art Research and Development (R&D) kitchen where culinary innovations come to life. Our R&D kitchen is a dynamic hub designed to push the boundaries of culinary creativity, menu engineering and testing to deliver exceptional results for our clients.

Client Tasting Room

Complementing our R&D kitchen is our tasting room, where clients can experience firsthand our culinary developments. Whether refining an existing menu or exploring new culinary concepts, our team will guide you through each tasting, providing insights into ingredient selection, preparation techniques, and presentation.