Pieter Sypesteyn
Cookhouse | San Antonio
December 2017
Pieter Sypesteyn knows what it means to miss New Orleans. He spent much of his life in the NOLA kitchens of his parents’ restaurants, but he hated the business and never seriously considered pursuing a career in hospitality. After high school, he attended art school and worked as an illustrator, but his inspiration flatlined.
Sypesteyn headed west and eventually landed back in the kitchen. His fi rst offi cial industry job was at the Los Angeles Country Club in Beverly Hills. When he moved to San Antonio in 2007, he worked under Chefs Th ierry Burkle and Andrew Weissman. Missing the food and fl avors of his hometown, and riding the 2012 food truck wave, he bought his own truck and brought New Orleans street food to the city. His Where Y’at Food Truck was voted “Best Food Truck” in San Antonio Magazine in its first year.
Expanding upon his mobile Cajun and Creole concept, Sypesteyn opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Cookhouse. Since its debut three years ago, San Antonio Magazine’s “Best New Restaurant” has become a headquarters for the community and an industry hangout for those looking to chow down on po’ boys, boudin balls, and soulful, seasonally driven New Orleans cuisine. Sypesteyn’s latest venture, NOLA Brunch and Beignets, brought breakfast to the neighborhood. With a community-first approach to business, he and his wife Susan also run Third Coast Charities to foster positive relationships between residents and businesses.
