DENVER — When Dana Rodriguez moved to Denver in 1998, she said she would have never imagined all of the success she'd have in the culinary industry.
Rodriguez, who immigrated from her hometown Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua, Mexico, said her first priority in Colorado was to land a job.
She began as a dishwasher at Panzano, an upscale Italian restaurant in the Hotel Monaco. It was there she met a chef who took Rodriguez under her wing.
Getting the opportunity to work and learn from some of the best chefs in Denver was not an opportunity Rodriguez took for granted. She said all of those mentors helped her develop the skills necessary to succeed in each job and learn to manage staff.
Rodriguez worked her way through the ranks, beginning as a prep cook and then eventually becoming a sous chef at Panzano.
“When I came here, I said, you have to learn to do something completely different, it’s like a challenge," Rodriguez told Denver7.
Rodriguez has been a part of opening restaurants like Rioja, Work & Class, Cantina Loca, Super Mega Bien, Casa Bonita and now Carne — a global steakhouse that opened in RiNo this summer.
“Creating different plates and the happiness on people’s faces when they try something and they’re smiling" is what Rodriguez said is the best part of the work she does.
“For me it was important to show my family and the community, if you have a dream, you can achieve it," she added.