This excerpt was originally published in Pre Shift, our newsletter for the hospitality industry. Subscribe for more first-person accounts, advice, and interviews .

Now Open is a yearlong series celebrating some of 2026’s most exciting new restaurants. Throughout the year, we’ll check in with teams in Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C., to hear what it’s really like behind the scenes of a buzzy opening. Then, we’ll host exclusive meals at these restaurants as part of Dinner Party, presented by Capital One . Read along for challenges, candid reflections, and advice from the proprietors behind some of the country’s hottest new openings.

Zubair Mohajir is one of Chicago’s most prolific new chefs and restaurateurs, behind such openings as Lilac Tiger, Mariela, Mirra, Sarima, and most recently, Muhājir , a restaurant that traces historical spice routes to tell the story of global migration.…