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How Far Out Hospitality’s Chef Felipe Armenta stays at the top

Cover Image for Chef Felipe Armenta at Le Margot.
By Sophie Brochu

Chef Felipe Armenta didn’t have a traditional backyard to play in as a child. With both parents as chefs and restaurant owners, he made the kitchen his playground.

“I asked my parents a lot of questions, like ‘What’s a tomato?’, ‘When do you know an avocado is ready to eat?’, and ‘What do you like to cook the most?'” Armenta’s entire upbringing revolved around food—and good food, at that.

Armenta took the knowledge his parents passed down and began cooking on his own. He trained in a variety of positions across the United States, working under different chefs. In 2008, he returned to his hometown of San Angelo, Texas, to open his first concept, The Grill.

Since then, Armenta has significantly grown his business, opening eight additional restaurants under the FAR OUT Hospitality umbrella, including Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, Cowboy Prime, and most recently, Le Margot.

“We thrive on continued growth but push ourselves to expand in a way that feels like we are always evolving,” says Armenta. “I’m lucky to still be hands-on and continue to have a supportive presence at all the concepts.”

Notably, in October 2022, Armenta partnered with celebrity chef Graham Elliot, bringing him into the group as the Director of Culinary Development.

At any of the FAR OUT concepts, Armenta aims to make his guests feel as if they are the only ones in the building. “You become and stay successful when you treat people like guests, not customers.” Additionally, Armenta attributes his achievements in the hospitality business to consistency.

Of course, great food helps, too.

Armenta shows off a range of expertise across his restaurants, which span classic French, refined barbecue, Pacific Northwest-inspired, and wood-fired cuisine.

“I like to play with ingredients that are in season, that’s always my go-to. Techniques are like fashion—something that was in style 20 years ago becomes the new trend, so we enjoy being the first to reintroduce classic techniques. For example, going into fall, we love to braise and slow-cook meats like short ribs and shanks to create nostalgic and comforting dishes that people crave.”

As the Texas culinary scene evolves at a rapid pace, Armenta continues to push the envelope.

“I truly believe that if you always strive for greatness—great food, great service—you’ll always be at the top. I live my life with this same mentality. It’s a competitive business, but I always make it a point to try and compete with myself.”

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