Full-Time Private Chef Placement for Dallas & Houston's UHNW Families

Montclair Chef is a boutique private chef placement agency founded by a Michelin-trained chef with 19 years serving UHNW households as a private chef, including nearly a decade with one of the world's wealthiest families. We are not a generalist agency. We place full-time private chefs exclusively for principals, family offices, and estate managers, and every Texas placement is founder-led and confidential. You can read more about our founder.

Every candidate undergoes a multi-stage vetting process: verified employment history, formal reference verification with previous UHNW principals, full background verification, and a confidential interview with our founder. Only chefs who pass every stage are presented to your household.

Every placement with our Executive Package includes an up to 6-month replacement guarantee. If your chef does not meet your household's expectations within the guarantee period, we provide a full replacement at no additional placement fee.

Full-time private chefs in Dallas and Houston typically earn $140,000 to $250,000 or more annually, depending on the chef's experience, culinary specialization, and household complexity. This excludes food budgets and accommodation where provided. See our private chef salary guide for detail, or ask for tailored guidance during your consultation.

Our chefs come from Michelin-starred restaurants, fine dining establishments, and established UHNW private households. We do not advertise roles publicly. Our network is built on direct relationships, referrals from existing chefs, and rigorous outreach to candidates with proven experience in long-term private service, never events or short-term engagements.

For most Dallas and Houston placements, we deliver a qualified shortlist within 10 days of your initial consultation. Full placement, including interviews, trial days in your home, and final selection, typically takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on your requirements across Highland Park, Preston Hollow, River Oaks, Memorial, or other Texas residences.

Yes. We place full-time private chefs across Highland Park, Preston Hollow, University Park, and Bluffview in Dallas, and River Oaks, Memorial, Hunters Creek Village, Piney Point Village, and Tanglewood in Houston, as well as Austin and the Hill Country.

Yes, this is one of our specialties. We place full-time travel chefs who move with the principal across multiple homes, whether between a Highland Park estate, a River Oaks residence, a Hamptons summer home, or properties in California, Florida, Hawaii, and abroad. We ensure consistency, discretion, and seamless culinary service across the entire portfolio.

Yes. Many Texas principals, particularly tech entrepreneurs and family office founders, prioritize wellness, longevity, and performance nutrition. We place full-time chefs with advanced expertise in plant-forward cuisine, longevity protocols, and medically guided dietary programs, often working alongside the principal's nutritionist or functional medicine practitioner. See our health and nutrition chef and specialized chef placements.

Discretion is paramount. Every candidate signs a strict non-disclosure agreement before being introduced to your household. Our entire process is conducted with the utmost confidentiality, a standard we have refined working with high-profile principals in Preston Hollow, Highland Park, River Oaks, and Memorial.

A private chef works full-time for one household, available daily as part of your staff. A personal chef serves multiple clients and visits on a scheduled basis to batch-cook meals. UHNW families in Dallas and Houston typically require a private chef for daily availability, consistency, and discretion.

If the placement does not work out within the 6-month guarantee period, we move immediately to source a replacement at no additional cost. We re-engage the brief, present a new shortlist, and manage the transition with full discretion. Our goal is not just to fill the role, but to ensure the right long-term match for your family.

Start with a confidential consultation with our founder. Tell us about your household, your residences, and what you are looking for, and we will guide you through the shortlist, trial, and placement. Schedule a consultation.