We’re holding all food & beverage workers close this holiday season. As our teams take a short, well-deserved pause, here are a few important reminders:

Emergency Relief Fund: Applications will be paused from December 17, 2025, to January 4, 2026. Please apply before the application closes on December 16 at 5 PM CT. If you have an ongoing case, you can continue working with your case manager. Please reach out to them with any concerns about closures and deadlines.

Behind You Mental Health Program: Applications remain open, and services will be available in January. The earlier you apply, the quicker we can determine eligibility, and you can be ready for when services commence.

Texas Hill Country Floods: Applications close 12/16.

Nick Fine

Texas native Nick Fine discovered his love for cooking during a summer job at a Yellowstone National Park resort. Afterward, he spent time in the kitchens of five-star resorts in Scottsdale and Palm Springs before returning to Texas to cook at the Mansion on Turtle Creek under Chef Dean Fearing. He spent three years at Veritas in New York City and honed his technique with Chef Scott Bryan. He returned to Texas to work as a sous chef at Brennan’s of Houston. After the Brennan’s fire in 2008, Nick spent six years at Aspen’s The Little Nell as executive banquet chef before moving to Boulder to work with Steven Redzikowski at Oak and Acorn.  Nick returned to Texas to open Ford Fry’s State of Grace as sous chef and then opened One Fifth, Chris Shepherd’s five-year restaurant that changed its concept annually, as chef de cuisine in January 2017. Nick was promoted to culinary director of Underbelly Hospitality in December 2017 and opened Wild Oats as chef/partner in 2022. Nick and his wife Laura have three children: Lottie, Hazel and Wyatt.