Suzanne Cupps
Untitled at The Whitney | New York
February 2017
While spending the summers on her grandfather’s farm in central Pennsylvania, Suzanne Cupps developed an appreciation for seasonal, farm-to-table cooking—even if she wasn’t interested in helping her mom out at the stove. But that would change. A graduate of Clemson University, Cupps went on to work at the Waldorf Astoria New York in the human resources department. Quickly, she realized her love for the hospitality industry and at the same time, cooking. She enrolled at the Institute for Culinary Education and, during her formal training, completed an externship with Union Square Hospitality Group at Gramercy Tavern.
After graduation, Cupps began her professional career at Anita Lo’s mainstay restaurant, Annisa. Th ree years into her tenure, Annisa was destroyed by a fi re, and Cupps was instrumental in the restaurant institution’s rebuilding and reopening. Bolstered, and building skills and confi dence, Cupps moved back to Gramercy Tavern in 2011, where Michael Anthony’s careful sourcing and New American approach resonated with her upbringing. She started as a line cook, quickly rising to sous chef. She was responsible for expediting lunch and dinner in both the main dining room and the Tavern. In 2015, Cupps was tapped by Danny Meyer and mentor Anthony to be chef de cuisine at Untitled and the rooftop Studio Cafe, both inside the Whitney Museum of American Art.
