Chef Olivier Gaupin, Executive Chef, Loews Atlanta Hotel
Olivier Gaupin opened Loews Atlanta Hotel in April 2010. As executive chef of the in-hotel restaurant, eleven, Bar eleven as well as banquet operations & catering, Olivier focuses his menus on local, sustainable ingredients with Southern and Mediterranean influences. He utilizes the best seasonal, fresh produce and flavors, like lettuce from local farmers and seafood from the nearby coast.
Olivier grew up and started his culinary career in Orleans, France. He completed an intense three-year apprenticeship from 1986-89, graduating from France’s CFA Charles Peguy School in 1989. He then moved to Nice shortly after, where he was chef de partie at the famed Michelin-starred Hotel Negresco. Olivier spent 1992 as a private chef on a yacht traveling the Mediterranean Sea, and before continuing on his path in the hospitality industry, he became the head chef for the private residence of the Defense Minister in Paris. From here, he became chef de partie at Hotel Stüva Colani in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
In 1994, Olivier moved to the United States and became executive sous chef at Provence Restaurant in Washington, DC. He then continued his work in hotels and resorts as the dining room chef for the Pfister Hotel Milwaukee, WI, The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, GA, and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, MO.
Olivier then moved to Florida in 2001 where he held executive chef posts at Watersound Beach and Resort, Water Color Inn & Resort and Alys Beach Resort. As director of food & beverage, Olivier managed all aspects of the food and beverage outlets.
Olivier began using products from The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley in 2007. At Loews Atlanta Hotel, he utilizes the purees and concentrates in his dishes at eleven, including vinaigrettes, sauces, sorbets, ice creams as well as cocktails. He says the unique, natural tasting products are perfect for creating food and cocktails that taste fresh every time.