Labor Day weekend is just around the corner, and the Hamptons food scene buzzes with urgency. Few tables can still be snatched at popular restaurants, and dozens of idling Range Rovers line up along the beloved farm stands. Enter The Culinistas, a hospitality platform that matches private chefs and hungry households. Setting the table in the Hamptons The Culinistas Already active in major cities such as New York, Washington DC, LA, San Francisco and Austin, The Culinistas are expanding to Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey and of course, the Hamptons, which they consider a premium market. This fall, they will add Miami and Palm Beach. “Summer is the Olympics!” said co-owner Tiana Tenet. “This year we’ve had about forty chefs living in the Hamptons and our advantage is that our chefs are local. If a client needs help with hosting a barbecue tonight, we can do that.” Aerial view of The Hamptons, Long Island, New York It appears this August has seen business explode, particularly on the hosting side of things, often resulting in several chefs working one event, but also prepping and cooking meals for the family and their house guests. Most parties this weekend are taking place from Thursday to Saturday since Monday marks the unofficial end of the season. But there are also clients who rent a home for a week and request a chef for the whole time, meaning three meals a day. “On Labor Day weekend, the farmstands control the menus,” said Ms. Tenet. “But people also love summer grilling, so we are constantly asked to feature burgers and dogs.” A Culinista burger has to be special, she explains. To put their own spin on it, their chefs now offer burger or hot dog bars with a variety of creative toppings, as well as a burrata bar, augmented with seasonal produce. The Burger Bar, The Culinistas way The Culinistas Ms. Tenet met her co-founder, chef Jill Donenfeld, about eight years ago. “Jill was running a boutique chef placement agency she’d created a decade prior,” said Ms. Tenet. “I was working at JP Morgan.” At the time, several in-home service platforms were emerging, offering massages or hair services, but it appeared no one was offering food in the home at scale. Ms. Tenet, who came from an Italian family, had attended business school at Georgetown University, but summers were spent in Italy, working for Giada de Laurentiis, and at the Food Network. Food always brought a smile to her face. “This is how our family connected,” she said. At JP Morgan, she was surrounded by busy, working women struggling to find efficient ways to feed their family healthy, homecooked meals. Suddenly, her passion for food and her financial skills could blend. The duo launched The Culinistas by offering weekly meal preps. Once a week, a chef would shop and cook six different items, storing them in the client’s fridge so the family could mix and match during the week for $250 plus expenses. Word of mouth helped grow the client base exponentially. And while their clientele expanded in numbers and geographical areas, the world of chefs was changing. “Since the pandemic, the quality of the chefs has increased dramatically,” said Ms. Tenet. “Working in a restaurant kitchen at minimum wage became much less appealing, particularly for women chefs who juggle children and work. We offer a nice alternative.” So, what happens after Labor Day? She laughs. “All the chefs go on vacation!” Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions