As hospitality groups grow, the role of an Executive Chef becomes about far more than creating great food.
Recently, Hastings People partnered with a leading hospitality group to appoint an Executive Chef for one of its flagship venues in Dallas. The role required a leader capable of overseeing a high-volume operation, developing culinary teams, maintaining exceptional food standards, and driving commercial performance.
The Challenge
The business has built a reputation for delivering exceptional guest experiences across a portfolio of successful hospitality concepts.
To support continued growth, they needed an Executive Chef who could balance culinary creativity with operational discipline.
This was not simply about finding a talented chef.
The ideal candidate needed experience leading large teams, managing complex operations, controlling costs, developing future leaders, and maintaining consistency in a fast-paced environment.
Finding someone with both the culinary pedigree and leadership capability to operate at this level is increasingly difficult.
The Search
The search, led by Ben Fitzgerald, focused heavily on the passive market.
We targeted proven culinary leaders with experience across high-volume restaurants, hotels, multi-site operations, and concept-driven hospitality businesses.
One candidate quickly stood out
At the time, the candidate was leading culinary operations for a luxury hotel in Dallas, overseeing multiple food and beverage outlets, banquets, catering, pastry operations, and a team of more than 100 employees. Under their leadership, the business had achieved significant year-over-year growth while earning industry recognition for the quality of its food program.
The candidate’s background spanned some of the most respected hospitality brands in the United States, including luxury hotels, acclaimed restaurants, large-scale openings, and multi-unit culinary leadership roles. They had successfully led operations across more than ten venues, launched new concepts, developed leadership teams, and built operational systems that improved both performance and profitability.
The Hire
Technical ability was only part of the equation.
What impressed both Hastings People and the client was the successful candidate’s leadership philosophy.
Throughout the process, they consistently spoke about culture, accountability, and developing people. They believed that great hospitality starts with creating an environment where teams feel supported, challenged, and empowered to perform at their best.
Their track record supported that belief.
Previous leaders described them as a trusted operator, a strong communicator, and someone who consistently developed future leaders within their teams. Several team members had followed them throughout different stages of their career, reflecting the loyalty and respect they had earned as a leader.
One comment from the interview process perfectly captured their approach:
"Good enough is not good enough."
It reflected exactly what the client was looking for: a leader committed to excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
The Outcome
For the client, the solution was not simply hiring an experienced Executive Chef.
It was securing a leader capable of building teams, developing culture, maintaining standards, and supporting the long-term growth of the business.
The successful appointment strengthened the group's culinary leadership capability while providing the candidate with an opportunity to contribute to an ambitious hospitality brand with significant future growth plans.
It was a strong outcome for both parties and another example of how the best hospitality talent is often found through proactive engagement with the passive market rather than waiting for active applicants.