bios
Chef Cory Shupe • Executive Chef/Owner of Thyme Square Café/President of Thyme Square Café, Inc.
Cory Shupe has worked in the restaurant industry for over 12 years. He began his culinary career right here in Quincy, at Kelly's Restaurant. Since then, he has worked for nationally renowned Chefs in Bloomington, IL and St. Louis, MO. At Five Bistro in St. Louis, he was introduced to the concept of using local farmers to sustain a restaurant and keep prices low. Through the formation of great working relationships with local farmers, Chef Shupe has helped to bring the farm-to-table dining concept to the Quincy community. He truly embraces the house-made approach to cooking by butchering, curing & smoking all of the local meat he serves & regularly creates new dishes with the fresh food from the area.
Cory received a B.A. in fine art at Illinois State University and has repeatedly been recognized for his culinary skills in Sauce Magazine, St. Louis Post Dispatch, and the Riverfront Times. He has currently been an advisor to other local restaurateurs & the Culinary Program at John Wood Community College.
Erica Shupe • General Manager/Owner of Thyme Square Café/Secretary of Thyme Square Café, Inc.
Erica Shupe has specialized in all forms of communication & service with the customer. She has worked the front-of-house as a Server, Bartender, Certified Trainer, Catering Coordinator and Manager for over 15 years. She was the Midwest Marketing Manager in charge of sales & marketing for 4 restaurants & has most recently been the sole graphic designer for multiple restaurants in downtown St. Louis, MO. She currently controls all of the bookkeeping, finance, & organization of Thyme Square Café, as well as, leads and promotes quality customer care & satisfaction within the dining room.
Erica received a B.A. in Graphic Design from EIU and an MA in Art Technology from ISU. She is actively involved in the revitalization of Downtown Quincy as a Board Member of the HQBD, Member of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce & Chairman of the Farmer's Market Committee (2012).
Brian Byquist • Assistant General Manager
Brian Byquist has worked in the restaurant industry for over 10 years. He has been a Dishwasher, Busser, Server, Bartender, and has over 5 years of management experience. His commitment to standards and passion for guest service has allowed him to move up quickly in the industry. He has been successful in the front-of-house as Training and Bar Managers and is certified in food service sanitation for the state of Illinois. He has assisted in writing HAACP plans for his restaurants, training guides for employees and action plans to improve service and drive sales.
His past working experience with Cory and Erica has easily allowed all of them to collaborate as a team and create an unforgettable dining experience. He currently leads and trains the Thyme Square Café servers & plays an integral role in developing and maintaining the Catering & Special Events program within the Café.
Derek Byquist • Sous Chef
Derek Byquist has 10 years of restaurant experience, with jobs ranging from line cook to Assistant General Manager. Derek started his career with Panera Bread & excelled in the bakery café concept. He worked his way through the ranks and was eventually promoted to AGM & opened two new locations in Bloomington & Champaign, IL. After relocating to Southern Indiana, he accepted a position with a successful steakhouse chain as Kitchen Manager. During his time as KM, Derek learned how to properly run a kitchen while focusing on product quality & restaurant profitability.
Derek joined the TSC team in March, 2011. Along with Chef Shupe, he personally prepares each menu item daily. Derek actively trains with Chef Shupe on how to cure & smoke the local meats Thyme Square Café serves. He also assists with all catering, Featured Farmer Dinners, & Special Events. Derek's experience & passion for food makes him a valuable addition to the Thyme Square Café team.
