Core, A Sonoran Grill Opens Nov. 17 at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain: Resort Restaurant Jobs in Marana
MARANA, AZ — The signature restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain is getting a new identity. Core, A Sonoran Grill opens Tuesday, November 17, a flame-grilled steakhouse built around Sonoran Desert ingredients, high in the Tortolita foothills on Marana's far northwest edge. For anyone who works in Tucson restaurants or hotels, it's a fresh reason to keep an eye on one of the area's highest-end hospitality employers.
Steaks from a homegrown Marana butcher, produce from nearby farms, Southern Arizona wines, and breakfast every day at a Forbes Five-Star resort.
In a hurry? Skip straight to the job links and begin searching now →
📍 Core, A Sonoran Grill at a Glance
| Restaurant | Core, A Sonoran Grill |
|---|---|
| Address | The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, 15000 N. Secret Springs Dr., Marana, AZ 85658 |
| Opening | Tuesday, November 17, 2026 |
| Hours | Breakfast and brunch daily, 7:00 – 11:00 AM; dinner Tuesday – Saturday, 5:30 – 9:00 PM |
| Concept | Sonoran-inspired steakhouse with a seasonal menu and flame-grilled cooking |
| Executive chef | Hamish Allison |
| New jobs | No hiring announcement; the resort posts openings through Marriott |
| Industry | Resort hospitality and fine dining |
A New Name for the Resort's Signature Room
Ritz-Carlton regulars will know the name. The resort's main restaurant has gone by CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar for years, and the new Core keeps the word while changing nearly everything else. The resort has been teasing "what's next this fall" on its dining page, and Tucson Foodie reported on November 13 that the new concept opens November 17.
The idea is a contemporary take on Southwestern dining, with the menu shifting through the seasons. Executive chef Hamish Allison told Tucson Foodie the team is letting "seasonality and landscape guide the menu and the experience." The room was redesigned by House of Form, a Phoenix design studio. Menus and reservations are on the restaurant's site, coresonorangrill.com.
What's on the Menu
Beef is the headliner. The steaks come from Lomo Premium Meats, the local butcher whose new Marana shop we covered in Lomo Premium Meats Grand Opening Nov. 13: filet mignon, New York strip, rib-eye, T-bone and tomahawk cuts, plus Australian and American Wagyu. Produce comes from nearby growers including Duncan Family Farms.
Starters include salmon crudo, Baja oysters and roast bone marrow. Seasonal plates include Pacific halibut and a spaghetti made with local cotija. Dessert runs to a horchata tres leches and a mango, lime and Tajín sorbet. The wine list leans on Southern Arizona's newer growing regions alongside bottles from elsewhere.
That kind of menu takes a skilled kitchen: butchery and grill work, raw bar prep, pastry, and a floor staff that can talk Arizona wine. It's the high end of the local restaurant job market.
Why the Ritz-Carlton Matters for Marana Jobs
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain is one of the bigger hospitality operations on the northwest side, with 253 rooms and suites, a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, 26 miles of trails, and restaurants and lounges including Cayton's, Turquesa Latin Grill and Ignite Lounge & Bar. It holds a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating. A resort that size staffs kitchens, dining rooms, the front desk, housekeeping, valet, the spa and the golf course every day.
Neither the resort nor Marriott has announced how many people Core employs or whether the relaunch adds positions. With breakfast seven days a week and dinner five nights, the restaurant needs a full crew either way, and winter high season is when Tucson-area resorts tend to staff up.
One pay note: Dove Mountain is in Marana, not the City of Tucson, so the Arizona minimum of $15.15 an hour applies through December 31 rather than Tucson's $15.45. Both rates rise January 1. Our 2027 minimum wage guide has the details, and Working in Marana and Oro Valley explains why the line matters.
What It Means for Tucson Job Seekers
No hiring push has been announced for Core, so treat these as the roles a resort steakhouse runs on, not confirmed openings:
- Kitchen: line cooks, prep cooks, grill and pastry cooks, and dishwashers. Search line cook jobs.
- Dining room: servers, server assistants and hosts. Search server jobs.
- Bar and wine: bartenders and anyone with sommelier training. Search bartender jobs.
- Around the resort: banquet servers, valet attendants, room attendants and front desk agents. Search resort jobs.
The drive is real: the resort sits about 40 minutes northwest of central Tucson. It's an easy commute from Marana, Oro Valley and Picture Rocks, a longer one from the south side.
More Marana and Hospitality News
Marana's restaurant and hotel picture keeps growing. The town just approved its downtown entertainment district near Main Street, and high season brings its usual hiring wave, which we covered in Tucson Resorts Are Staffing Up for High Season.
🔎 Search Jobs Now
- Ritz-Carlton jobs in Tucson
- Marriott jobs in Tucson
- Line cook jobs in Tucson
- Server jobs in Tucson
- Bartender jobs in Tucson
- Host jobs in Tucson
- Resort jobs in Tucson
- Jobs in Marana
Explore more in our hospitality careers hub and restaurant careers hub.
Want the next posting in your inbox? Create a free TucsonHIRED account and set an alert for restaurant and resort jobs on the northwest side.
📢 Employers: Staffing a Kitchen for High Season?
Restaurants, resorts and hotels across Marana, Oro Valley and Tucson can post jobs on TucsonHIRED and reach local cooks, servers and hospitality workers who want to work close to home.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When does Core, A Sonoran Grill open?
Core, A Sonoran Grill opens Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana.
Where is Core, A Sonoran Grill?
It is inside The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain at 15000 N. Secret Springs Dr. in Marana, in the Tortolita Mountains about 40 minutes northwest of central Tucson.
What are Core's hours?
Breakfast and brunch run daily from 7:00 to 11:00 AM. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 9:00 PM. Reservations are taken through OpenTable or at 520-572-3074.
Is Core, A Sonoran Grill hiring?
No hiring announcement has been made for the relaunch. The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain posts openings through Marriott's careers site, and TucsonHIRED's Ritz-Carlton and resort job searches show similar roles across the area.
What minimum wage applies at Dove Mountain?
The resort is in Marana, outside Tucson city limits, so the Arizona minimum wage applies: $15.15 an hour through December 31, 2026, and $15.65 starting January 1, 2027.
Where does Core get its steaks?
Core's steaks come from Lomo Premium Meats, a local butcher that opened a Marana shop in November 2026.
From Lomo's counter in Marana to a grill up in the Tortolitas, this one is local all the way down. If you can work a flat-top or a dining room, the northwest side is worth watching this winter.
