Today we’d like to introduce you to Jameson Maspaitella.
Hi Jameson, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I spent 18 years cooking in Portland, Oregon, with the last 12 years working for Your Neighborhood Restaurant Group (YNRG). During that time, I truly found my voice as a chef. I had the opportunity to work across all of the group’s restaurants in leadership roles and collaborate on building a chicken concept from the ground up. That experience taught me how to shape a culinary identity while balancing creativity with operations.
My partner, Greg Bastein, originally from Grand Rapids, honed his skills in San Francisco and Chicago, working in prestigious restaurants such as Aqua, Avec Next, and Tavernita. I moved to Grand Rapids in 2020, and Greg hired me shortly after. As we worked together, we realized our food philosophies aligned — we both cared deeply about seasonality, technique, and food that felt personal and expressive.
At the time, I was hosting private dinners and supper clubs on the side. After about a year of building a steady clientele, I realized this could become something bigger. That’s when we launched Sunroom Suppers — a catering company focused on local, seasonal ingredients and highly curated menus tailored to each client.
In January 2025, we began vending at the Fulton Street Farmers Market, selling Hawaiian and South Pacific–inspired plate lunches. These dishes reflect my interpretation of my Oma’s cooking, combined with the flavors and techniques that influenced me during my years in Portland. Vending at the market has allowed us to cultivate meaningful relationships with farmers and local artisans, similar to the community connections I experienced in Portland and Greg experienced in Chicago.
Our goal is to continue growing the locavore community here in West Michigan. In 2026, we’re opening a food truck to further showcase local, seasonal plate lunch menus. We’re especially excited to begin bringing on staff and mentoring the next generation of chefs — teaching them how to cook thoughtfully, intentionally, and with respect for ingredients, customers, colleagues, and themselves.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are struggles with everything, and building this business has been no different. None of the challenges were unexpected, but there were definitely things you don’t fully understand until you’re in it.
The biggest hurdles were the behind-the-scenes pieces—navigating the permitting process, securing a commissary kitchen, figuring out when and how to pay ourselves, and having the confidence to ask for financial support to expand. Those are the parts no one really prepares you for.
From the culinary side, though, we’ve been fortunate. Cooking, executing events, and delivering great food have never been the issue. That part is relatively easy and second nature to us after years in the industry. The real learning curve has been in building and managing the business itself.
Our goal has always been to move intentionally—grow slowly, build it the right way, and create something sustainable.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are chefs first and foremost. Our goal is simple: to create undeniable food. Greg and I come from an older generation of cooks where validation came from the chefs who trained us — not from praise, trends, or social media. We were taught that technique and flavor are everything. If you master those two things, you can cook almost anything well.
We are a true from-scratch kitchen. We take pride in utilizing the local flora and seasonal ingredients of West Michigan, allowing the region to influence the way we cook while still honoring classical technique. Since moving to Grand Rapids, I’ve found that the food I most appreciate comes from people who share that same mindset — focused menus, thoughtful execution, and depth of flavor.
Places and chefs like Steadfast Supper Club, CouCou Bakehouse, Mon Cherie Creperie, KCM and Semifreddo inspire me because they do fewer things, but they do them exceptionally well. That philosophy resonates with us.
What sets us apart is that we are never satisfied. When we create something amazing, Greg and I don’t celebrate for long — we look at each other and ask, “How can we make it better?” That constant pursuit of refinement, that commitment to pushing flavor and technique further, is what drives us every day.
What I’m most proud of is that we’ve stayed true to that standard. We cook with integrity. We cook with discipline. And we cook with the belief that great food should speak for itself.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The biggest risks I’ve taken haven’t just been financial and personal.
I could be working a steady corporate chef job right now. Good salary. Stability. Predictable hours. Instead, Greg and I chose to build something from nothing, knowing we’d make little to no money for the first few years. We’ve taken out zero loans and grown slowly, which sounds responsible — but it’s still a gamble.
The hardest part isn’t the money. It’s the time.
Both my wife and Greg’s have carried the pressure of being the primary breadwinners of our respective homes while we chase this dream. Mine has also carried more at home with our kids. I’ve missed moments I won’t get back. And that weighs on me.
Risk, to me, isn’t exciting. It’s heavy. It’s waking up at 4 a.m. wondering if you’re being brave or selfish.
But I’d rather my kids see me fight for something meaningful than play it safe and live with “what if.”
Pricing:
- Private dinner 5-8 courses $140-$200
- Vending/ cart $10-$22
- Supper club $80-$100
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunroomsuppers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunRoomSuppers/
