OWNERSHIP

Jose Meza - Owner & Executive Chef

Jose’s journey is a showcase of long dedication to a passion for the restaurant industry and his culinary craft. Jose grew up in the Walla Walla and was given his first opportunity to follow his passion in the restaurant business in 2000 at 16 years old.  As a dishwasher, he discovered his culinary desire and after 6 months had the opportunity to fuel that spark.  He credits his love for cooking to Mr. Bill Pancake, owner of Creektown, who shared his family recipes and believed in Jose’s dream to be an executive chef.  By 2002 his dream became a reality, and he was named executive chef at Creektown.  Since then, Jose has been no stranger to the Walla Walla restaurant scene, or Tom Maccarone. He was employed at T.Maccarone's before Tom’s joint effort to expand his footprint and offerings to the Walla Walla Community. When Tom’s acquisition of Merchants, a Walla Walla staple at the time, was completed and The Olive Marketplace was incepted, Jose was largely responsible for establishing the kitchen and successfully maintaining it over 9 years. As TMACS expanded, so did Jose’s desire to grow his experience. TMACS was blessed with the opportunity to have Jose join the team in 2019 where he quickly became an integral part of the restaurant’s success.  Early 2020 it was announced that Jose would be welcomed as TMACS Executive Chef and Partner and has been giving guests the most pleasurable culinary experience since.  

In January 2026, Jose became the sole owner of TMACS as Tom Maccarone retired at the end of 2025.  Under Tom Maccarone, TMACS proudly celebrated 20 years in the Walla Walla Valley.  Jose and his Dream Team will continue to emphasize community collaboration and relationship building from the working with city officials and local charities, to sourcing local purveyors for fresh ingredients and products. TMACS continues to raise the bar by instilling passion and purpose into the experience and atmosphere for our guests to enjoy.