Fostering culinary talent & community among chefs
Piehole Project is Dallas' most delicious charity. We bring together chefs to support fellow chefs and to develop the next generation of culinary leaders.
Build the Next Generation of Chefs.
What started with pie auctions—243 pies, $60,000 raised—now drives something bigger: a community where chefs invest in each other.
Rising Stagiaire Program
Peer-nominated sous chefs gain hands-on experience through funded stages with leading kitchens.
Family Meal Hangs
Regular evenings that bring chefs together to connect, collaborate, and strengthen the Dallas culinary scene.
Pie Me!
Sign Up for Invitations, Updates, Goodness & Goodies.
Calendar of Events
Mark your calendars for a year of culinary celebration and community impact.
The Cheffies: Chef's Choice Awards
The culinary industry's most meaningful night — an award ceremony where chefs recognize chefs. Peers nominate and vote to honor the talent, dedication, and craft of Dallas-Fort Worth's finest culinary professionals.
The Rising Stagiaire
Established DFW Chefs hand-select a rising culinary talent, provide personal mentorship, and fund a paid stage (training placement) at some of the most recognized and respected restaurants — launching the next generation of great chefs in Texas.
6th Annual Piehole Auction
Our signature annual fundraiser where local chefs craft extraordinary pies that go up for bid. Five years running, this beloved event has raised over $60,000 and auctioned 243 pies — all fueling the Piehole Project's mission.
Family Meal Hangs
Casual, recurring social get-togethers exclusively for chefs. These gatherings are about community first — a chance to decompress, connect with peers, share stories from the line, and build real friendships across the DFW culinary scene.
Piehole Project Peeps — The Board
Our leaders are industry veterans dedicated to hospitality and the Piehole Project mission.
Sharon Van Meter
Chef, producer, culinary ringleader, and full-contact Dallas hospitality legend.
Alison Matis
CIA-trained event force behind FestEvents and Piehole Project energy.
Hollie Contreras
Catering-and-events pro who knows how to turn restaurant chaos into booked rooms, BEOs, and happy guests.
Graham Shockley
Chef-turned-seafood connector helping serious kitchens get the good stuff.
Jeffrey Yarbrough
Restaurant-deal guy, real estate operator, and now steward of a Dallas burger institution.
Amity Thomas
Storyteller who gets restaurants, events, and brands seen, talked about, and covered.
Stewart Slocum
Gives Independent Restaurants an unfair Marketing advantage - Support, System, Software, Service ... Simple.
Our Roots
The Beginning
Piehole Project began as a grassroots pie auction—chefs showing up for each other and for the hospitality industry. What started small quickly grew into a community-wide celebration of culinary talent across Dallas–Fort Worth.
That momentum has raised more than $60,000 and strengthened the industry along the way.
Growing Together
Today, we’re focused on what comes next: fostering deeper connections among chefs and developing future talent through Rising Stagiaire and Family Meal Hangs.