Truluck’s welcomes Thomas Dritsas as new Corporate Executive Chef

THE WOODLANDS, TX - Truluck's is pleased to announce Thomas Dritsas as their new Corporate Executive Chef putting him in charge of culinary and creative initiatives. In this role, Dritsas will work side by side with his best-in-class chefs to oversee Truluck’s culinary teams while continuing to create, evolve and dominate the seafood dining scene by actively sourcing local & Regional inspired products, improving quality standards to protect Truluck’s vision, value & purpose.

“I have dedicated my career to elevating dining experiences focused on sourcing the freshest and highest quality products from around the world for guests to enjoy. I have always believed that the staff is the heartbeat of any concept, so it’s no coincidence that Truluck's strong company culture is one of the main factors that attracted me to the company,” said Chef Thomas Dritsas. “Truluck’s has been a leader in the fine dining scene for three decades and I look forward to stewarding the brand forward for guests to enjoy for many years to come.”

Dritsas joins Truluck's with a lifetime of culinary experience. He started his career in the early 90’s attending the Prestige Culinary Institute of America. He went to work for The Buckhead Life Restaurant Group in Atlanta, GA before embarking on creating a number of independent restaurant concepts with industry leading restaurateurs. He joined Sullivan’s Steakhouse, owned by Wichita-based chain Lone Star Steakhouse, Inc in 1999. He became their Corporate Executive Chef in 2003 overseeing 267 Lone Star Steakhouses, 20 Sullivan’s Steakhouses, 21 Texas Land & Cattles and 16 of the Dallas-based Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouses. Thomas was later part of the group that formed Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group. Thomas was the culinary architect and co-founder behind the company’s polished casual Grille brand which grew to 22 units. Thomas served as Chief Culinary Officer & Corporate Executive Chef of DFRG till 2019. He most recently served as Culinary Concept Chef for Whiskey Cake and Ida Claire under the FB Society Umbrella. He most recently served as Culinary Concept Chef for Whiskey Cake and Ida Claire under the FB Society Umbrella.

“Thomas has the culinary experience to elevate Truluck’s to the next level. His passion for cooking and training his staff fit like a glove with our culture. And when you add in his previous experience it’s a perfect match,” said Karen Ferreira, Truluck’s Chief Financial Officer/CPA

Established in 1992 with the opening of its first location in Houston, TX, Truluck’s is proud to be privately held and fiercely independent. Truluck’s was designed to create memorable dining experiences, offering guests the ocean’s finest sustainably sourced seafood, remarkable cocktails and wines and the most hospitable service both inside the restaurant and in our communities.

The cornerstone of their concept is the Florida Stone Crab, found in the turquoise waters of the Florida coast. Building relationships with crabbers for several decades has allowed Truluck’s to control the quality and freshness of their product, ensuring deliveries from traps to tables in less than 24 hours. This commitment to quality and freshness extends to all offerings, never serving endangered, overfished species, and always following Ocean Conservancy guidelines. Each year Truluck’s captures, prepares and serves 200,000 pounds of Florida Stone Crab claws to their guests during the season which runs October through May.

Truluck’s serves diners in ten locations throughout Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. with NEW locations opening in Austin, TX, Fort Lauderdale, FL and Plano, TX in 2023.