restaurant boom

Texas stays on the front burner for future culinary job growth

Anacacho is one of the new restaurants putting San Antonio on the culinary map.

For many San Antonians, a recent string of high-profile restaurant closures has painted a bleak picture of the food industry. But new data suggests Alamo City's culinary future is far from cooked: Texas is expected to post the fastest food industry job growth in the U.S. by 2032, according to new analysis.

A recent study from the nationally recognized Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts compared all 50 states to determine their job prospects for chefs and head cooks, restaurant cooks, and food service managers based on three key metrics: projected growth rates from 2022-2032; "absolute job creation" (the total number of projected new positions) during the same 10-year span, and actual job growth rates from 2022-2024.

Texas' culinary industry is expected to grow by 24.88 percent by 2032, the report found, which is the highest projected growth rate nationwide. That translates to more than 52,000 culinary jobs created within the next six years.

Escoffier also broke down individual projections across all three metrics:

45,150 new restaurant cook jobs, a 39.72 percent increase
3,580 new chef and head cook jobs, a 19.76 percent increase
3,340 new food service manager jobs, a 15.17 percent increase

"The top three states alone — Texas, California, and Florida — will add nearly 130,000 culinary jobs, almost 45 percent of all jobs created in this industry (despite those states making up about 28 percent of the nation’s population)," the report said. "This demonstrates an extraordinary scale of opportunity for job seekers willing to relocate to states with booming restaurant scenes."

Major Texas cities, including San Antonio, are home to numerous award-winning chefs who are defining the local restaurant scenes. In 2019, the James Beard Foundation created a Best Chef: Texas category after previously lumping the state’s talent in with the Southwest. The new classification has led to increased visibility for local chefs on the national stage. On January 21, 7 local restaurants were named as semifinalists for the “Oscars of the food world.”

The buzz around headlining chefs does not mean that independent restaurants are faring well in an industry increasingly dominated by chains. And, as Escoffier notes, projections are just one factor among many that determine the strength of the national culinary industry. Texas' combined actual culinary job growth from 2022-2024 is down 0.28 percent when compared to expectations.

"This simply means that, over the past few years, the state appears to have underperformed growth projections; the industry still grew in that state, but perhaps not as much as anticipated," the report's author clarifies. "Given the short timeframe (2022-2024), this category plays a small role in our rankings relative to the ten-year projections."

Washington led the U.S. with the most new culinary jobs added from 2022-2024, with 5,800 positions created during that time. Escoffier said Washington handily beat expectations that only 1,300 jobs would be added, representing a 348 percent "overperformance."

The top 10 states with the fastest-growing culinary industry are:

No. 1 – Texas
No. 2 – California
No. 3 – Georgia
No. 4 – Florida
No. 5 – Washington
No. 6 – North Carolina
No. 7 – Utah
No. 8 – Arizona
No. 9 – Nevada
No. 10 – Alabama

texas culinary job market reports

CHEF SHUFFLES

Acclaimed San Antonio chef John Brand takes reins at Hotel Emma

Photo courtesy of Hotel Emma

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After the departure of Geronimo Lopez, a familiar face is returning to San Antonio’s Hotel Emma. In a full-circle moment, former Supper chef John Brand is returning to the posh Pearl hotel to oversee the property’s restaurants, bars, and event kitchens.

Brand has been part of Hotel Emma’s culinary DNA since the beginning, leading the Pearl anchor’s culinary team during its 2015 opening. He hasn’t strayed far in recent years, still involved in shaping the development’s gastronomic profile as the Director of Culinary Endeavors at Potluck, the culinary and experiential management arm of Silver Ventures.

Returning to Hotel Emma feels like coming back to the kitchen where it all began—where we set out to prove that San Antonio could define its own standard of world-class hospitality through food, craft, and place,” says Brand via a release. “Hotel Emma and Pearl have always been at the heart of this city’s culinary identity, and as the destination continues to earn global recognition, it’s a privilege to help lead what comes next."

As Vice President of Culinary, Brand will guide Supper, Sternewirth, Larder, and future concepts. The release states that Brand will continue the hotel's commitment to local sourcing while nurturing the next generation of talent at the property. He will also focus on ensuring Supper remains a cornerstone of the Pearl culinary experience.

“It’s rare to find a leader who has both the professional pedigree and the deep personal history with a place that John has," says Jon Sakshaug, Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Emma. “As we look ahead, I’m excited to have his perspective, creativity, and leadership shaping what’s next.”

Brand’s appointment follows Lopez’s mid-January exit from the flagship property. The former Botika chef has taken on a new leadership role at the San Antonio Food Bank, overseeing food programs tied directly to hunger relief and community impact.

The last few months have seen the overall Pearl property in flux, with Carriqui closing in October 2025, followed by brunch favorite Full Goods Diner in December. At the end of that month, Mesha Millsap stepped down as CEO of Pearl, a position she has held since 2022.

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