Mobile party staffing business a fixture for 35 years in Pittsburgh

Tami McQuaid never thought she’d make a career out of being a hostess with the “mostest.”

But 35 years later, Great Gatherings, a mobile professional staffing business owned by McQuaid, provides professional servers, bartenders, cooks and event promoters for private and corporate events in the Pittsburgh region.

“My parents, Robert and Lois Wolfson, were always into entertaining,” said McQuaid, originally from Allison Park and now of Fair Oaks. “My father was in the television and radio industry. I was one of eight children, and we passed hors d’oeuvres around at parties.”

McQuaid was raised around a mother who exhibited superb hostess skills, and it was there that she received her introduction to the hospitality world.

McQuaid graduated from North Allegheny High School in 1980 and took a hospitality job at Wynwood Racquet Club in Bradford Woods, where members would often host private parties on Saturday nights.

“They would say to me ‘Will you work the event,’ and I was doing it for side money,” she said, “but one day I sat down and thought I wonder if we send letters out to the caterers if we could do this?”

Great Gatherings was originally co-owned by Sally Kocan and McQuaid. They ended their business relationship more than 20 years ago.

The first big break for the business happened when a prominent caterer called McQuaid and requested 50 servers for a grand celebration opening of the new Pittsburgh International Airport.

“It was huge. I told them no problem and hung up the phone and we got all of these people and made it happen. It was great and wonderful, and that event put us on the map,” McQuaid said.

Sometimes, customers request that servers dress in alignment with the party theme, like the airport soiree where servers donned aviator caps and glasses.

Notable events and celebrities served by Great Gatherings staff include the grand opening of the Andy Warhol Museum, Elton John, sporting teams including the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins, Jerry Springer, Rocky Bleier, Gregory Peck, Arnold Palmer’s celebration of life, Marvin Hamlish and more.

Corporate clients comprise the bulk of the bookings and have included West Penn Hospital, PNC, Highmark, law firms and universities such as Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh.

“But we love a house party though — it’s intimate and nice,” McQuaid said.

One event booking involved traveling to West Virginia for a party with Oliver North as guest of honor.

“He doesn’t eat his broccoli,” McQuaid noted.

But not all events are black-tie.

“We handle everything from paper plates to extreme high-end events,” McQuaid said.

Celeb work perks

Prince Andrew was in attendance at a luncheon more than 20 years ago where McQuaid’s sister Traci Wolfson worked as a server.

Wolfson still works for her sister.

“He was so sweet and so nice, and when he came in everyone stood up and he motioned for everyone to sit down — he acted down-to-earth,” said Wolfson, also of Fair Oaks.

Jamie Lee Curtis was in attendance at a fundraiser at the former Three Rivers Stadium, and a celebrity-filled tennis luncheon saw Elton John in attendance.

“She was very, very kind and nice,” Wolfson said of Curtis. “Elton John was amazing, and he was great.”

For Wolfson, working interesting and varied events has its appeal.

“We were working but we had so much fun doing those every year. You didn’t feel like you were working,” Wolfson said. “Everywhere you go it’s different, and she’s been in business for a long time. It’s because we just don’t hire anybody and we just pick the right people.”

Former California-based catering company Blue Goose trained Wolfson in all aspects of party service, and she has trained servers ever since.

“The most important thing when you have a party is to constantly move, don’t stand there and don’t ever leave a glass, plate or trash on the table. And if you’re serving appetizers, you have to know what’s in the food because of allergies. Keep yourself busy and keep it looking pristine,” Wolfson advised.

Server Laura Zech of Regent Square credits Great Gatherings for being the perfect part-time job as a single mother who raised two children while working a full-time managerial job.

Zech, 55, has since retired from her full-time job and is pursuing a science degree at Penn State University while still working part-time for Great Gatherings.

“We do everything the host would do so they can enjoy their guests,” said Zech. “It’s been an amazing source of work and income for me. It gave me so much flexibility.”

Working a black-tie event at the Edgeworth Club near Sewickley is one etched in Zech’s memory.

“Mario Lemieux was a superstar and had moved to Pittsburgh, and he was there. Getting to see him at that point in my life was a big event. His wife was with him and she was beautiful and gracious,” Zech said.

Great Gatherings events include many celebrity and dignitary-filled events, such as a private lunch hosted for President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, in 1993.

“We were thrilled at being selected. Experiencing the Secret Service security process was also quite impressive,” McQuaid said.

Party perils and performances

A cookie table at a private party in Downtown Pittsburgh once caught fire, and Zech and her crew quickly extinguished the blaze caused by wayward candles.

“Nobody really noticed because the cookie table was out in the hallway, and we went on with the show,” Zech said.

At one lavish bar mitzvah celebration, Zech enjoyed unique entertainment for a work perk.

“This event was over-the-top and on the scale of a wedding. They had live statues, with heavy makeup on, standing still as statues. And I thought my job was hard,” Zech said.

Courtesy of Great Gatherings

Tami McQuaid photographed 30 years ago during the early years of her mobile event staffing business Great Gatherings.

But don’t confuse Great Gatherings with food.

“We’re not caterers,” McQuaid said. “We don’t bring the food but we can handle food that is on-site. We do have cooks. We say enjoy your guests and let us do the rest.”

Great Gatherings’ rate is $35 per server, per hour.

McQuaid seeks to hire polished professionals who will represent her brand with discretion, top-notch service and friendliness. She’s always looking to add to her professional team, most of whom work events as a second job.

The uniform is all-black, a change from the standard white shirt and black bow tie of years past.

“You have to be sharp, well-dressed, and we are very picky about appearance. Some other companies have mimicked us, but they aren’t up to our standard,” McQuaid said. “I like to hire a high caliber of person. It’s important.”

January is the slowest time of year and April through December is high season for entertaining.

McQuaid is proud of her ongoing commitment to providing high-quality event staffing options for clients.

“It’s the school of hard knocks, but these are the things they learn. I have gals who are still with me from the beginning,” McQuaid said.

The covid shutdown resulted in a dwindling list of servers from around 200 to 12. McQuaid is back up to about 50 servers on the roster, but she’d like to hire more.

“People seem to want their stay-at-home jobs,” she said. “It’s starting to pick up, but we were really hit hard during covid.”

Fox Chapel, Sewickley, Ligonier, Squirrel Hill and Downtown Pittsburgh are the most frequent locations for events.

McQuaid has been married for 45 years to Bryan McQuaid, a retired cement mixer/driver, and everyone in the family has honed their entertaining skills at Great Gatherings.

The couple have three adult children, and Tami has no plans to retire.

“I absolutely never, ever thought I’d still be here doing this,” she said. “But I have to stay busy.”