Only a handful of the more than 4,000 restaurants on the famous Las Vegas Strip are run by female chefs, so Lorena Garcia knows that she has got to stand out. At her restaurant Chica, she does that by embracing her Venezuelan roots.
“One of the things we have is understanding who we are and what we represent — which is the Latin community — and through our flavors and our culture, being strong and believing that this is what we do,” she said. “It’s worked so far.”
In addition to running Chica restaurants in Las Vegas, Miami, and Aspen, Garcia has moved her food operations into several airports. She has appeared on Top Chef Masters, America’s Next Great Restaurant, and multiple shows on Univision and Telemundo. The author of two cookbooks, she has developed both a cookware collection and Doña Rosario Latin Delights, a dessert line named after her grandmother.
Garcia also started Big Chef, Little Chef, a nonprofit that helps kids and their families learn the importance of healthy eating. She is an ambassador for No Kid Hungry and helped launch Project Garcia — named after her brother — which funds research for glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer.
While she initially studied law, Garcia eventually discovered her love for cooking, and advises those who want to pursue culinary careers to be prepared.
“With preparation, I think that you can conquer all,” she said. “This is a country of opportunities and I’m an example of it.”
Twitter:@lorenagarcia
Instagram: @cheflorena
