Austin Sumrall

Austin Sumrall is the chef-owner of White Pillars, Siren Social Club, and Hotel Vela. Raised on a cattle and horse ranch outside McComb, Mississippi, his approach to cooking was shaped early by a deep connection to land, food, and tradition. He later earned a degree in Hospitality from the University of Mississippi and received classical training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

While at Ole Miss, Austin met his wife, Gulfport native Tresse Young. The two married in 2012 and moved to Birmingham for Austin to pursue a career at Hot & Hot Fish Club. They welcomed their son Ollie in 2015, and soon after returned to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to pursue their vision of showcasing Mississippi’s people, products, and culture through food.

In December 2017, they opened White Pillars, the region’s first true farm-to-table fine dining restaurant. A few years later, they expanded that vision with Siren Social Club and Hotel Vela in downtown Gulfport. Across all concepts, the Sumralls are committed to championing Mississippi’s products, culture, and cuisine – celebrating not only the ingredients, but the farmers, fishermen, and artisans behind them.

Since opening White Pillars, Chef Austin has been recognized for his work both locally and nationally, including three James Beard Foundation semifinalist nominations for Best Chef: South. In 2021, he was named “King of American Seafood” at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off and has appeared on national televised cooking competition shows including Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and Alex vs America. In 2025, both White Pillars and Siren Social Club were recognized by the MICHELIN Guide.