Josh Griffiths at FOC Events is my catering, staffing, and event liquor license partner.

Josh Griffiths runs FOC Events, and he is my catering, staffing, and complex event liquor license partner in NYC. When a client's event needs more than a caterer and less than a full production company, Josh is the seat that gets filled.

Three things FOC does that most firms do not

Most catering firms handle food and staff. That is the easy part of an event. The hard part, and the part that ends most event conversations before they start, is the permitting and staffing complexity NYC events actually require. FOC handles the events other firms turn down:

• Multi-location activations across boroughs on a single day or weekend
• Off-premise liquor licensing, catering permits, and one-day event permits that need real navigation, not a template application
• Staffing that has to show up on time, in the right uniform, with the right training, and represent your brand instead of embarrassing it

That combination, real hospitality execution plus real permitting knowledge plus real staffing, is rare at any scale. Most firms do one of the three well and outsource the other two, which is where events fall apart.

Why the liquor licensing piece matters

Event liquor licensing in New York is where most brand activations quietly break. A brand books a venue, plans an activation, and then discovers seven days out that the venue's license does not cover the activity, or that a permit application should have been filed 45 days ago and now cannot be, or that a rider on the venue's license triggers a community board notice they missed. Josh has the relationships and the permit muscle memory to keep this from happening, and the muscle memory to fix it when it happens anyway.

This is not a template process. Every activation has a specific license question depending on the venue, the sponsors, the sampling, the sale versus service split, and the time of day. FOC handles it as a matter of routine.

Why I refer to him

Josh is also a general hustler and a real connector, which matters as much as the operational chops. He knows the room, knows who to call, and treats every event like his name is on it, because it is. He is a good friend to have in your corner, and one of the few operators I fully hand a client to and stop worrying.

If you are planning a brand activation, a multi-location event, or any hospitality event that needs catering plus staffing plus permits, FOC is the call. Josh will tell you what is possible on your timeline and your budget, and he will not sell you something that cannot be delivered.