Kevin Fink, the chef behind Austin's Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group and the founder of Pullman Market at Pearl, has quietly turned himself into one of the key players reshaping how San Antonio eats out. Since Pullman opened in 2024, its cluster of restaurants and stalls has drawn national attention and nudged locals to rethink what dinner in the Pearl can look like. The former Samuels Glass warehouse now hums with a specialty grocer, bakeries, chef-driven restaurants and the kind of bar lines that signal a hit.
Fink's path from dishwasher at 14 to restaurateur is laid out in a profile from the San Antonio Express‑News, which reports that Emmer & Rye employs about 300 people across several concepts. The paper also notes that Pullman’s San Antonio footprint created roughly 350 restaurant jobs and helped push the Pearl into the national dining conversation.
National honors and Michelin recognition
The MICHELIN Guide has already stamped its approval on several Pullman spots. Isidore and Nicōsi have earned stars, Isidore picked up a Green Star for sustainable sourcing, and Mezquite landed on the Bib Gourmand list, according to the MICHELIN Guide.
What Pullman looks like
Pullman Market fills the repurposed Samuels Glass building at 221 Newell Ave and debuted in spring 2024 as a roughly 40,000-square-foot culinary market with a specialty grocer, a sourdough bakery, quick-service windows and several full-service restaurants. Its launch was billed as one of the largest market projects in the Southwest, according to Visit San Antonio.
Jobs, awards and local lift
Beyond trophies, Pullman has delivered a sizable local job boost. The San Antonio Express‑News reports that the market and Fink's local concepts added around 350 restaurant jobs to San Antonio, while Emmer & Rye overall employs roughly 300 people across its venues. Pullman’s early dominance on "best new restaurant" lists helped elevate its partners and chefs, and pastry chef Tavel Bristol‑Joseph of Nicōsi landed a James Beard semifinalist nod this year, as noted by KSAT.
From Austin to the Pearl
Fink's record in Austin, where Emmer & Rye developed concepts such as Emmer & Rye and Hestia, gave Pullman the operational backbone needed for a market of this size, and earlier profiles highlight his Food & Wine Best New Chef recognition. Trade coverage including Eater Austin traces how that pedigree helped persuade investors and culinary partners to buy into the Pearl project.
For Fink, the focus has been less about headlines and more about building something that lasts. He emphasizes the team, local sourcing and the small operational decisions that keep the market running smoothly. Whether Pullman turns into a repeatable template for chef-driven markets in Texas will come down to neighborhood support and whether San Antonio can sustain this level of high-touch hospitality over the long haul.
