Hotel Emma appoints chef John Brand vice president of culinary, relaunching Supper after leadership change

Leadership shift at a flagship Pearl property

Hotel Emma has named San Antonio chef John Brand as its vice president of culinary, placing him in charge of the luxury property’s food and beverage direction across Supper, Sternewirth and Larder, as well as future dining concepts tied to the hotel. The move returns Brand to the kitchens he helped build when Hotel Emma opened at Pearl in 2015.

The appointment follows the departure of executive chef Geronimo Lopez, whose final day at the hotel was Jan. 24, 2026. Lopez began a new role on Jan. 26, 2026, as vice president for culinary operations at the San Antonio Food Bank, marking a transition from hotel operations to a leadership position focused on hunger-relief food programs.

What Brand’s role covers

Brand’s title positions him as the senior culinary leader overseeing the hotel’s major outlets and setting standards for menu development, sourcing and service consistency. Hotel leadership described the hire as a “full-circle” return, reflecting Brand’s history with the property and the Pearl district’s broader hospitality identity.

• Operational oversight of Supper, Sternewirth and Larder
• Planning and development of future hotel dining concepts
• Coordination of food and beverage experiences connected to the broader Emma Hospitality Group

A planned relaunch for Supper

One of Brand’s first priorities will be a relaunch of Supper, the hotel’s primary restaurant. During the hotel’s early years, Brand became closely associated with menus that placed seasonal vegetables in prominent roles rather than as side dishes. The updated direction for Supper has been framed around seasonality, local partnerships and a sense of place, signaling continuity with the restaurant’s original positioning while setting the stage for a refreshed approach.

Hotel Emma’s accolades and recent continuity

Hotel Emma has built a reputation as a destination property in San Antonio’s hospitality market, earning a AAA Five-Diamond rating in 2018. More recently, it received a Two Key designation from the Michelin Guide while culinary leadership operated under Brand’s successor, Jorge Luis Hernández.

Brand called the return a homecoming to the place where the team sought to demonstrate San Antonio’s capacity for world-class hospitality through food, craft and a distinct sense of place.

What comes next

The change places a founding-era culinary architect back in a leadership seat at a moment of transition for Pearl-area dining. Hotel Emma’s next steps are expected to center on the Supper relaunch, continued emphasis on local sourcing, and operational alignment across its on-site venues and future projects under the hotel’s umbrella.