Phil Suarez is an American entrepreneur and restaurateur, from Manhattan, New York. He was born in Washington Heights, New York City, where he attended George Washington High school. He is the youngest of four, and the son of Puerto Rican immigrants.
Suarez began working part-time for Papert Koenig & Lois, in the television production department ran by ad man George Lois. It was there he gained experience in media production, which led him in the direction of forming his own company.
Suarez left Papert Koenig & Lois to form a joint venture with Bob Giraldi, known as Giraldi Suarez Productions in 1973. The two met playing at an ad agency basketball game.[1]
Giraldi Suarez Productions went on to produce ad campaigns for Miller Brewing, and numerous music videos for artists including Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, as well as Michael Jackson's “Beat It” video. The company also produced theatrical trailers for Broadway plays like Evita, Dream Girls, A Chorus Line. Suarez produced & Giraldi Directed the feature film “Dinner Rush” starring Danny Aiello.
Suarez saw an opportunity to extend his production life into the restaurant business saying “It was like going from one theatre to another. I loved that I could translate the art of production into another realm equally as thrilling to me as music and television”.[2]
In 1980 he opened Positano, a restaurant inspired by the cuisine of the Amalfi coast.[3]
Suarez's next creation was Patria. A restaurant.
Since 1991 Suarez has opened:
| Name | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| JoJo | NY, New York | |
| The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges | NY, New York | |
| Wd~50 | NY, New York | |
| Gigino Trattoria | NY, New York | |
| Gigino at Wagner Park | NY, New York | |
| Perry St | NY, New York | |
| Pipa | NY, New York | |
| ABC Kitchen | NY, New York | |
| ABC Cocina | NY, New York | |
| Co. | NY, New York | |
| Mercer Kitchen | NY, New York | |
| Jean-Georges | NY, New YorkShanghai, China | |
| Market | Paris, France Los Cabos, Mexico | |
| Kaua'i Grill | Kaua'i, Hāwai'i | |
| J&G Steakhouse | Phoenix, AZWashington DC | |
| J&G Grill | Deer Crest, UT | |
| Fern | Bahia Beach, PR | |
| Prime Steakhouse | Las Vegas, NV | |
| Lagoon | Bora Bora, Fr. Polynesia | |
| Pump Room | Chicago, IL | |
| Mercato | Shanghai China | |
| Le Dock | Fire Island, NY |
Suarez and Jean-Georges Vongerichten have continued to work together for over twenty years creating international restaurants.[5]
Phil Suarez has been nominated by the James Beard Foundation as Outstanding Restaurateur for 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Suarez and his wife Lucy are two of the producers of the musical Kinky Boots,[6] which opened April 2013, in New York City. The musical was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, It has been awarded 6 Tony's, including Best Musical.
Suarez is a partner in the West Perry development company, in which architect Richard Meier developed the 'sister' buildings on the corners of Perry and West streets. These buildings have been the residences of many celebrities.
He has actively served on the board of directors of the Police Athletic League for more than twenty years. He has also been on the board of the New York Urban Coalition, acted as President of the Catholic Big Brothers Association, and is a member of the New York State Commission on Human Rights.