View Will Nichols' profile on Wellfound, the startup and tech network - Operations - San Francisco - Experienced founder / operator with track record scaling startups. Co-founded Umamicart, raised...

Personal chef marketplace Shef expands to Dallas. Posted: Oct 2, 2026 / 02:15 PM CDT Updated: Oct 2, 2026 / 10:36 AM CDT DALLAS (KDAF) - Shef, an online marketplace connecting customers with local personal chefs, launched its Weekly Shef Service in Dallas today. The expansion makes Dallas the ninth market nationwide to offer the company's recurring subscription meal service. The platform connects consumers with personal chefs, including James Beard Award winners and Michelin-trained cooks, who prepare and deliver homemade meals. In the Dallas area, participating chefs offer 625 dishes across 66 cuisines, joining existing subscription markets in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Austin and Washington, D.C. Shef has raised more than $100 million in funding to date and serves more than 180,000 families nationwide through thousands of vetted chefs. Customers use the service by browsing menus by cuisine, reviewing chef background stories and scheduling weekly delivery dates for small-batch meals. Initial menu items available in Dallas include dishes such as Braised Beef with Sweet Potato Mash and Lemon Pepper Asparagus, as well as Cuban Chicken Ropa Vieja. For culinary workers, the platform allows independent cooks to establish their own menus, pricing structures and schedules. Shef provides business support covering food safety certification, marketing assistance and pricing guidance. Cooks using the platform have earned tens of millions of dollars in net income, with top earners generating nearly $1 million in total revenue. Joey Grassia is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Shef. Grassia stated that the service was designed to balance convenience for households with business support for local cooks. "Dallas has a vibrant culinary culture, but people are busy. Our aim in launching Weekly Shef Service in Dallas is to deliver the care and quality of a personal chef-made meal at a price that beats takeout - so people can take their time back without sacrificing the quality of their dinners," Grassia said. "Growing up, our mothers taught us that food is more than just a meal; it's an expression of love, culture and connection. We're hoping that the launch of Shef in Dallas can help families experience the magic of a real homemade dinner, even on nights when cooking a meal is out of the question." Grassia added that the system handles back-end operations so chefs can focus on preparing food. "Shef is a two-sided marketplace that strives to deliver high quality, affordable meals to busy families, while also supporting the best culinary talent in our communities," Grassia said. "Our platform makes it possible for chefs to build a full-time revenue stream or earn significant side income without the headache of managing delivery, marketing, or complex logistics." All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by CW33. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by CW33 staff before being published.