Executive Chef - Upscale Mediterranean/Middle Eastern

About Arianna

Arianna is a modern Mediterranean restaurant opening in Uptown Dallas in December 2026. It draws on the 18 countries along the Mediterranean coast and the poetry of the Persian kitchen. The menu is built for sharing: vibrant mezze, wood-fired proteins and layered vegetable dishes that honor ancient traditions through modern technique and carefully sourced ingredients. The room leans fine dining, but the spirit is warmth. Guests should feel welcomed like family and served like VIPs.

Arianna is part of SS Hospitality Group, a Dallas–Fort Worth group that operates Landmark Bar & Kitchen, Baila Cocina y Cantina and Texas Festivals & Events.

The role

We're looking for a high-caliber Executive Chef to lead Arianna's kitchen from day one. You'll bring fine-dining discipline to a menu that spans the full Mediterranean, from the Levant and North Africa to Greece, Turkey, Italy and Spain, anchored in Persian soul. This is a chance to build a menu, a team and a reputation from the ground up. We build with partners, not just employees.

What you'll do

• Build the opening menu around mezze, wood-fired proteins and vegetable-forward dishes drawn from across the Mediterranean and Persian traditions.
• Lead pre-opening kitchen setup, sourcing, recipe development, costing and hiring.
• Recruit and develop a kitchen team that executes at a Michelin-level standard every service.
• Own food cost, ordering, inventory and vendor relationships, including specialty and imported ingredients.
• Set and enforce recipe, plating and consistency standards.
• Partner with the GM on tastings, staff education, private dining and guest feedback.
• Maintain a spotless, safe kitchen that meets all health code standards.

What you bring (required)

• Professional experience cooking Persian, Middle Eastern, Greek, Arabic or Israeli cuisine.
• Broad command of Mediterranean cooking across its regions.
• 5+ years of kitchen leadership, including 2+ years as Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine.
• A fine-dining background with refined technique and plating.
• Proven food cost and kitchen P&L management.
• Food Manager certification.

Strongly preferred

• Experience in a Michelin-starred or Michelin-recognized kitchen.
• Restaurant opening experience.
• Wood-fire or live-fire cooking experience.

Compensation & ownership

• Total compensation of $90,000–$130,000, including base salary, performance bonus and profit sharing.
• A real path to ownership: for the right chef, Arianna offers equity participation as the restaurant grows.
• Creative ownership of the menu from day one.

Pay: $90,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year

Experience:

• Kitchen management: 5 years (Required)
• Mediterranean cuisine: 3 years (Required)

Work Location: In person