Leticia Nunez

Leticia Nunez

Executive Chef


Bacchanal Buffet, Caesars Palace

Las Vegas, NV USA


It doesn’t matter where you come from, what stress you had that day, or how mad you are, you can put food on the table and everybody comes together. [In that moment], we all have something in common...it becomes about the food.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Leticia Nunez

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
Born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Says that in her family, “it is all about the food”—she realized that food and cooking were her passions at 8 years old.
Moved to the Napa Valley in California at the age of 17 where she began her career studying under the famed chef Thomas Keller at the world-renowned restaurant French Laundry.
She got a job working as a wine pairing chef at Robert Mondavi Winery.
Due to the competitive nature of the culinary industry, she dealt with a lot of negativity early in her career and faced people who doubted if she had what it took to be a chef.
After she got married, she and her husband started opening several of their own restaurants in California and North Dakota.
Moved to Las Vegas, NV—worked as a banquet chef for MGM and helped open Guy Fieri’s El Burro Borracho at Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino.
In 2012, she helped open the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace and is now their Executive Chef—she oversees 124 cooks and eight chefs preparing hundreds of dishes for over four thousand people a day.
Keep following my journey

Education

High School

Career

Executive Chef

I am the executive chef in charge of Las Vegas' most popular buffet serving over 4,000 people a day.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Food
Entrepreneurship
Accomplishing Goals

Day to Day

I oversee 124 cooks and 8 chefs that prepare hundreds of dishes for over 4,000 people every day. My alarm goes off at 3 am and I am in the kitchen by 4:30-5am. The first thing I do is walk the line and check to ensure that everything is clean. I check the product that has come in to ensure freshness and check-in with my chefs to make sure we have everything we need for the day. My day typically doesn't end until 7-8pm.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for high school students

When it comes to cooking, school is important to a certain degree. Ultimately, it is about putting in the practice and having the passion to keep growing. Be dedicated to developing your skills over time and allowing it to become a part of who you are.

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Peers:

"You don't have what it takes."

Challenges I Overcame

Gender Discrimination
Work Stress

Interviewed By

Skill Powered

Skill Powered

Finding rewarding work without a four-year degree