Going into 2026 for me was… to put it lightly… daunting.
The year I turn 30. The year I knew I wanted a change.
What I didn’t know was what exactly that change looked like.
Maybe a hip-hop class. Maybe finally getting one of those museum memberships. Maybe adopting another cat???
Spoiler alert: it ended up being something a little bigger.
I decided it was time to spread my wings beyond serving.
I love people. Even more than that… I LOVE food. And wine. Specifically, a good red blend.
Hospitality has given me so much over the years, and I knew I wasn’t ready to leave it behind. I just wanted to experience it differently.
So naturally… I opened Indeed.
Searched and searched and searched.
You’d think living in a city like Dallas would make finding the right fit easy, but I realized pretty quickly I wasn’t looking for just any job.
I wanted connection.
I wanted creativity.
I wanted to feel more rooted in the city I now call home.
Then I came across a posting for Catering Sales & Marketing at Ari’s Pantry.
I immediately texted my friend Carmen.
“omg Carmen!!! we came here for book club!!! remember! you picked it!!”
Her response:
“I. LOVE. Ari’s.”
And suddenly it clicked.
I had already experienced Ari’s before I ever applied. My book club had met at the Downtown Dallas location. We picked up wine, built snack boards, settled in, and spent the evening talking about our latest true-crime read.
What stuck with me wasn’t just the food. It was the feeling.
The kind of place where people gather, stay longer than they planned, connect, and leave already talking about coming back.
I remember walking out thinking:
I need to come back here.
There was another reason this opportunity stood out to me, too.
I’m originally from Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope is a small town where local businesses are everything. The kind of places where people know each other, where owners recognize familiar faces, where community happens naturally.
Since moving to Dallas, I’ve loved getting to experience such an energetic and growing city, but I’ve also found myself missing that feeling of connection that comes with smaller, community-driven spaces.
I’ve been wanting to get more involved. To meet more people. To support local businesses. To feel more rooted here.
That’s part of what intrigued me about Ari’s Pantry.
It feels like one of those places that brings people together through food, conversation, celebrations, and experiences.
So when the opportunity came up, I applied immediately.
The more I learned about Ari’s Pantry, the more I realized this role wasn’t just about catering sales or marketing. It was about helping create experiences and becoming part of a growing local business.
When I met Ari and Amy, I had a gut feeling this was something I needed to say yes to. Not just because of where it could take me professionally, but because of who it might help me become personally.
I’m excited to learn new skills, challenge myself in new ways, get more connected to the Dallas community, and be part of what Ari’s Pantry is building.
And hopefully eat some really good Italian food along the way.
