DanteRamirez


Dante Ramirez has been in the catering and restaurant business for more than 25 years with extensive experience in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. Dante began his career in college, working for Rosa’s Café in Lubbock as an assistant manager. After college, he moved to Dallas and landed a job with Mary Kay, Inc. as director of catering. During his tenure with Mary Kay, he worked with culinary gold medalist François Keller and executed events for senior leadership and corporate staff under the Richmont Brand.

Dante was recruited away from Mary Kay to work for Consolidated Restaurant Operation (CRO) where he created CRO Catering with Gene Street and senior management staff. Dante and his team grew the catering business to a multi-million-dollar sales vehicle, utilizing proven CRO concepts with a focus on consistency and client service. Today the catering operation is one of CRO’s largest revenue producing divisions.

Dante continued to set records for major restaurant chains, from building new catering platforms to developing growth plans. In 2017, Dante opened Tender Smokehouse, in partnership with Audrea Carroll Weimer and three other friends. Tender Smokehouse quickly developed a loyal following, earning the “Best New Downtown Small Business in Texas” award in 2018 and the #2 spot on Yelp!’s list of the “Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.” Dante brings a wealth of experience to Toasted Walnut, and he is honored to support our customers.