50 Years, Three Generations: The Women Behind Island Chateau

For 50 years, Staten Islanders have walked through the doors of Island Chateau to celebrate some of life’s biggest moments. Weddings, anniversaries, Sweet Sixteens, engagements, graduations, retirements, and family milestones, have all filled its rooms.

But behind those celebrations is another story, one that has been unfolding for three generations.

It is the story of a family business built by Patricia and Thomas Velten, carried forward by their daughters, Tammy Lewandowski and Teri Breslow, and now continuing with their grandchildren, marking three generations and a proud legacy of women leading the way.

Long before Island Chateau opened its doors in 1976, Patricia Velten was already building a reputation on Staten Island. She operated Pat Velten’s Catering, preparing food for events throughout the borough and working out of Knights of Columbus halls, American Legion halls, schools, studios, and other venues. As the business grew, so did the need for a permanent home.

That opportunity came in 1976, when Patricia and Thomas purchased what was then known as Harmony House – a property had a history of its own. The surrounding area was once known as Harmony Park, with baseball fields and picnic grounds where families would gather before moving inside Harmony House for celebrations. By the time the Veltens took over, Harmony House was already operating as a catering hall, which was quickly renamed it Island Chateau.

Patricia also made a decision in those early days that her daughters still hear about today. Although the prior business had closed, she honored the existing contracts that had been booked before her family took ownership. Decades later, customers and their children still tell Tammy and Teri how much that gesture meant to their families.

For Patricia, running a growing catering business was especially notable at a time when far fewer women were operating businesses of their own. Thomas was a New York City firefighter when Island Chateau opened, while Patricia took the lead with customers, booked events, wrote contracts, and became the familiar face of the business.

Thomas worked alongside her behind the scenes and helped with large events. Within about a year, Island Chateauhad become busy enough that he retired from the Fire Department to join the business full time.

Tammy and Teri grew up in that environment. They worked coat check, waited tables, and worked in the office. They learned the front of the house and the back of the house, watching their parents handle everything that came with owning a catering hall.

When Patricia passed away in 1987, the sisters continued working alongside their father and helping keep Island Chateau moving forward. Eventually, Tammy and Teri purchased the business from him and became the next generation of owners. They have been running it together ever since.

For the sisters, being hands-on owners remains central to how they operate today. Customers meet Tammy or Teri when they first visit the venue. An owner is there when plans are made, contracts are written, details are finalized, and, most importantly, when the celebration itself takes place. That personal involvement is one reason they believe families continue returning.

Island Chateau has done relatively little traditional advertising over the years. Instead, much of its business has grown through word of mouth, something the sisters see as uniquely Staten Island. When they ask new customers how they heard about the Chateau, the answer is often the same: a cousin, a friend, a coworker, or someone else who celebrated there before them.

Some of those relationships now span generations. Tammy and Teri remember hearing customers say that Patricia had catered their wedding years earlier. Later, those same families returned for their children’s celebrations. Today, Island Chateau is beginning to see third-generation customers come through its doors.

Island Chateau itself has evolved over the years, with Tammy and Teri continually renovating and updating the property. Major improvements include rebuilding the main room with higher ceilings in the mid-2000s and adding a second space for ceremonies and cocktail hours in 2017. Through it all, Island Chateau has remained committed to hosting just one affair at a time, allowing the owners and staff to focus entirely on each celebration.

Consistency, the sisters say, has been another key element of the business. Some Island Chateau employees have been there for decades. One maîtred' has worked with the family for more than 40 years. Other staff members have stayed for 15, 20, or more years.

For returning families, that means seeing familiar faces alongside the familiar owners. That continuity will be important as Island Chateau begins its next chapter.

Tammy and Teri’s daughters grew up in the business much as their mothers did. They understand both the front and back of the house, and they have seen firsthand how important it is for an owner to be present. Now, they are working alongside Tammy and Teri as the institution looks toward its eventual third generation.

Tammy and Teri know their daughters will bring new ideas with them. In fact, they welcome it. The sisters have spent decades updating the Chateau, whether through major renovations or smaller changes to flooring, carpeting, wallpaper, paint, and décor. That willingness to change may be one of the reasons Island Chateau has endured for half a century.

After 50 years, those celebrations have become woven into Island Chateau’s own family history. Three generations of women, connected by one Staten Island business and five decades of celebrations.

For Island Chateau, the 50th anniversary is larger than a milestone: It is a family legacy still being built.