Neighboring Restaurants Join to Create Pace's Catering

When two neighboring Hauppauge restaurant owners had the same expansion in mind, the decision to merge as rather than compete came easily.

"Pace's name is unbelievable. It goes back 25, 26 years in history and who wouldn't want to have a name like that," said Michael Ulholz, former owner of Cielo and equal partner in Pace's Catering.

Ulholz said he only needed one night to think over joining with family owned by Jimmy Pace, before knowing it was the right business move. Despite keeping Cielo successful in a tough economy, the restaurateur said he wanted to take the next step forward.

"I was about ready to take it a step further by catering to parties. [Pace] looked over and said 'Here's what I want to do, I want to do parties.' I looked over at him and said 'What? Are you reading my mind across the parking lot?," said Ulholz.

He joined with Pace and Tommy Quinn, a former Wall Street trader with a passion for food, who have been exploring ways to expand Pace's business, initially toying with the idea of opening a mobile catering truck.

"We were looking to start a lobster truck. So we went down to Washington D.C. to go to the Red Hook Lobster truck. We waited for hours on line with hundreds to eat a $15 lobster in December," Quinn said.

But after Pace and Quinn studied Long Island's demographics, they realized a mobile catering truck would do better in New York City than Long Island. So when Ulholz was on board with opening a catering facility, Cielo restaurant offered an ideal location.

"I felt like it was a small place that would be ideal situation for private, intimate gatherings," Jimmy Pace said.

None of the three partners had any doubts about opening a catering facility in the midst of a troubled economy.

“I don’t think people gave up on parties, but instead of inviting 175 or 150 people, I think they are inviting 60, 70, maybe 80,” Quinn said.

Cielo, an Italian restaurant with an airy interior and scenic murals, was closed in July to be transformed into Pace’s Catering facility, a hardwood and linens steakhouse facility seating approximately 85 people.

Ulholz, former owner of Cielo, will take over as executive chef of the catering facility after spending the last seven months training in Pace’s kitchen.

The catering hall can host up to two parties at the same time in separate rooms, depending upon size, and features a family style menu. Dishes served are a twist on Pace’s Steakhouse style, featuring marinated skirt steaks, filet mignon, pork tenderloin, rack of lamb and more. Prices range of $29.95 to $80 a head, not including beverages aside from coffee and tea.

Pace’s Catering is currently accepting reservations for holiday parties, and so far, gaining interest.

“Most of the people you talk to booking Christmas parties are scaling it down this year. I hear a lot say, ‘ We’re only 35 people this year.’ We fall right into the mold,” Quinn said.

Pace's Steakhouse has two locations on Long Island, one in Hauppauge and one in Port Jefferson. This will be the company's first catering hall.