Michael Whiteman
 | This article contains promotional content. (March 2022) |
Michael Whiteman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | |
| Education | Syracuse University |
| Occupation | Restaurant consultant |
| Known for | Co-creator of Windows on the World |
| Spouse | Rozanne Gold |
Michael J. Whiteman (b. 1938) is an American restaurateur and international consultant. With his partner, Joseph Baum, Whiteman created Windows on the World on the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1976.[1]
As a partner in the Joseph Baum + Michael Whiteman Company, he won an international competition to re-create the Windows on the World complex after it was shuttered following the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.[2] The pair also re-envisioned the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center and ran the restaurant from 1987 to 1999.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Whiteman was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn in 1938.[4] He attended elementary school, junior high school and high school in the neighborhood before enrolling at Syracuse University where he earned a degree in English and Journalism in 1959.[4]
Whiteman was drafted and served in the United States Army from 1961-1963.[4]
Career
[edit]In 1967, while working for a publisher of small trade journals, Whiteman began to develop a publication focused on the emerging business of restaurants.[4] In 1968, he created Nation’s Restaurant News,[5] a bi-weekly trade publication serving the food service and restaurant industry and was named as the editor of the publication.[4] Within a year of its launch, Nation’s Restaurant News turned a profit based on paid circulation.[4]
In 1970, restaurateur Joseph Baum left Restaurant Associates to form his own consulting company.[6] During his first year in business, Baum secured the contract to create the master plan for food service in the forthcoming World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.[6] Baum turned to Whiteman for assistance[7] and the two formed the Joseph Baum + Michael Whiteman Company in 1971.[8]
Following the 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center, storing and receiving areas used by Windows on the World were damaged and the restaurant was forced to close. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owned the building, asked 35 restaurant groups for proposals to reopen the Windows on the World space.[9] In May of 1994, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey awarded the contract to the Joseph Baum + Michael Whiteman Company.[10] As part of the renovation, Whiteman was responsible for creating an international menu for the new restaurant.[10]
Baum+Whiteman helped develop master dining plans for John Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the World Trade Center in Taipei[2] and the Hudson River Club.[11] Other projects included the Brooklyn Museum of Art, a banquet dining room in the Asia Society and the creation of a four-story restaurant atop the Westin Stamford Hotel in Singapore. [12]
Whiteman is a frequent speaker on trends, social ergonomics, design, service, finance, and the food and hospitality industries.[13]
Honors and recognition
[edit]1997, Food and Beverage Association, Hospitality Professional of the Year (together with his wife, Rozanne Gold)[14]
1999, Silver Spoon Award, Food Arts Magazine[15]
Personal life
[edit]Whiteman lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife, Rozanne Gold.[16] Whiteman has two children, Jeremy Whiteman and Shayna DePersia.
Whiteman wrote the foreword for 1001 Restaurants You Must Experience Before You Die (2014).[17] [18]
References
[edit]- ↑ Romeo, Peter. "Timeline: How today's restaurant industry came to be". Restaurant Business. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- 1 2 Miller, Bryan (1994-05-13). "Familiar Face Behind New 'Windows'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- ↑ Fabricant, Florence (2009-03-10). "Rainbow Room Owners Seek a 'Great Restaurateur'". Diner’s Journal Blog. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Interview - Michael Whiteman | Voices from the Food Revolution: People Who Changed The Way Americans Eat". beard.dlib.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ "The Four Seasons bids farewell". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- 1 2 Matsumoto, Nancy (2022-02-08). "The Legacy of Joe Baum". Edible Manhattan. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ Roston, Tom (2019-09-10). Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World: The Twin Towers, Windows on the World, and the Rebirth of New York. Harry N. Abrams. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-4197-3799-2.
- ↑ Grimes, William (1998-10-06). "Joseph Baum, American Dining's High Stylist, Dies at 78". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ Morabito, Greg (2013-09-11). "Windows on the World, New York's Sky-High Restaurant". Eater NY. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- 1 2 "Jul 03, 1996, page 65 - Staten Island Advance at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ "Feb 19, 1990, page 109 - Newsday at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ Prewitt, Milford. "Baum Gets over the Rainbow Loss with New Projects". Nation’s Restaurant News. Vol. 32, no. September 1988. p. 8.
- ↑ Poris, Jim. "Michael Whiteman". Food Arts. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ↑ "Association – Food & Beverage Association". Retrieved 2026-07-25.
- ↑ "Food Arts Silver Spoon Award Winners Through the Years". Wine Spectator. 2024-11-05. Archived from the original on 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
- ↑ "Coq au vin: Flavors in favor". Newspapers.com. New York Daily News. February 24, 1988. p. 732. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
- ↑ Linford, Jenny (2014). 1001 Restaurants You Must Experience Before You Die. Barron's. ISBN 978-0-7641-6693-8.
- ↑ "1001 restaurants you must experience before you die | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2026-07-29.