Today we’d like to introduce you to Chito Arreola.
Hi Chito, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born in tenamaxtlan, Jalisco Mexico, parents Jose and Olivia Arreola moved to Akron Iowa when I was 11 years old, dad started his restaurant called Akron Jo’s cafe, grew up in the restaurant business as well as farming and livestock, went to culinary school and started working at the Omaha convention center, and I have been working at large catering events since college, I have been moving up the ranks thru many cities and countries, some of the events I have worked are the Grammys, US Open NYC, Kentucky Derby, Super bowls, Nascar, NBA Finals, the Masters, NCAA championships, and many more, in 2014 I had the opportunity to moved to Gabon Africa to be one of the personal chefs for the president of the country, for 2 plus years travel with the first family where ever they went, as well hosting many presidents, and high profile guest in gabon, in 2017 came back to America and started working again as the executive sous chef for the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche, as the pandemic change our world found myself moving to Salt Lake City where somehow a job Opening during the middle of the pandemic was offer to be the executive sous chef at the salt palace convention center, which later I have become the executive chef at Salt Palace as well as Mountain America working under a great company Sodexo Live
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a marathon to become the person that I am today at first was, the let me proof that I work harder than anybody, then it turned to you’re too young to be a supervisor than a sous chef, have meet many people that have want me to fail, but dedication, hard work, perseverance and goals in life can take care of any obstacles or challenges that may cross your path.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love to cook, I love to teach other about food, and be part of a team that can work together and execute a big event, I am known as the chef that is always innovating, making food looks delicious and beautiful in an environment that is not typically know for upscale dishes such as convention center or stadiums, my biggest pride is my family and the team that I get to work with every day. What set me apart from other chefs is my care and dedication to the team in the kitchen, caring for every single person in there is what drives me to be a better leader for them and to help them become great chefs, just like the chefs that I have admire during my time in this industry.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice to young cooks is to learn from everyone, to listen, be on time, put in the hard work nothing come easy, be patient move around different kitchens, the more kitchens you work and chefs you work for the more experience you can get, read, watch, and follow your chef role models, dream big, and don’t be afraid of failure, listen and always remember your mentors, I have been so lucky to have many great chefs and now friends for life that you will always remember them which I’m very thankful that they took the time and effort to make me a better chef but mostly a much better person
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @chefchitoarreola
- Facebook: @chefchitoarreola
- Linkedin: Andresarreola
- Twitter: @chefchitoarreola
