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    Iris Rojas

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    i. Biography

    Iris Rojas is co-owner and operator of Doña Maria in Irving, Texas, and that role defines the public shape of her work. The restaurant is the setting where Dominican cuisine is carried in daily service, and where Rojas’s name is tied to a specific place, a specific rhythm, and a specific line of work.

    Coming Up

    Today, Iris Rojas is co-owner and operator of Doña Maria. The title is plain, and that is the point: it describes the labor of keeping a restaurant moving, on the floor and behind it. For Rojas, Doña Maria is the place where ownership and operation meet, and where her culinary identity is read through the work of the room.

    Where They Are Now

    At Doña Maria, Rojas holds the dual role of co-owner and operator, which puts her inside both the business and the daily service of the restaurant. In Irving, Texas, that work is framed by Dominican cuisine, the specialty that gives her public profile its clearest point of reference. Doña Maria, Irving, Texas, and Dominican cuisine are the facts that carry the weight here, and they do it without excess. Together they describe a restaurateur whose work is concentrated in one place and one tradition, with the restaurant serving as the practical expression of that focus. Co-owner and operator are roles that require both decision-making and follow-through, and at Doña Maria those responsibilities shape the restaurant’s day-to-day life. Iris Rojas’s specialty in Dominican cuisine gives that work its direction, grounding the operation in a defined culinary tradition. For Iris Rojas, the record is direct: Doña Maria in Irving, Texas is the site of her practice, and Dominican cuisine is the framework through which that practice is understood.

    Career - Co-owner / operator — Doña Maria, Irving, Texas

    FAQ What is Iris Rojas's current role? As of 2026, Iris Rojas is Doña Maria. What is Iris Rojas known for? Dominican cuisine. What recognition has Iris Rojas received? James Beard Awards — Best Chef: Texas semifinalist (2025).