DENVER -- Chef Mario Godoy’s comfort zone is in the kitchen.
He’s the chef and one of the owners of the new Dazzle restaurant in Denver. A recipe for success that didn’t come easy.
He came to the US as a teenager, swimming from Mexico, across the Rio Grande river to Texas.
“It was a life changing moment for me,” said Godoy.
Godoy began working in restaurants, filling almost every capacity.
He worked as a server and as a dishwasher, working his way up the ranks of the kitchen. He also traveled to Italy, to learn about food and wine.
“Are you surprised that you’re here today, in charge of this big restaurant?” asked Denver7 reporter Marc Stewart.
“In a way yes, I am,” said Godoy. “It’s a surprise, but I knew it was going to happen one day,” he said.
Godoy is about good food. But part of his success comes from goal setting, always asking this question he’s been asked on interviews.
“It’s a good question. Where do you see yourself in 10 years. So every 10 years I do my goal.”
Now, he’s living his goal and giving advice to all of us, to create challenges for ourselves.
“I like to be challenged that way, by myself,” he said.
Mario didn’t hesitate to learn all of the jobs in the kitchen. Now he’s running his own.
“Don’t ever give up and set your goals,” he said. “Take risks, you know if we don’t take risks, you’re going to stay in the same position.”
The new Dazzle restaurant is located at the intersection of 15th Street and Curtis in downtown Denver.