Hispanic Heritage Month: Chef Dayanny of Hard Rock Stadium

Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15th to coincide with many of the countries’ Independence days and runs until October 15th.

In Miami, we are very fortunate to have so many talented and accomplished Hispanic and Latino chefs and restaurants, so we encourage everyone to support them this month and year-round.

But, it is Chef Dayanny De La Cruz that we wanted to highlight for not only her heritage but also her accomplishment as a female executive chef in the mostly male-dominated world of sports.

It was the prospect of Super Bowl LIV that most excited Chef Dayanny De La Cruz when she joined the Sodexo/Centerplate food and beverage team in November 2017 as the Executive Chef at Hard Rock Stadium.

Hard Rock Stadium is the site for both Miami Dolphins and University of Miami Hurricanes home football games, Soccer and top tier concerts, and the Miami Open, The venue is fortunate to have an exceptional leader in Chef Dayanny at the helm of their extensive culinary program.

Chef Dayanny was born in the small village of Nagua in the Dominican Republic, where cooking with her grandmother was where she learned about cooking with love and with respect. After getting her BA in Hospitality Management from Universidad Central del Este in the DR, she left the island to pursue a career in hotel management working for Iberostar in Spain, Milan, and throughout Europe.

But she admits to always ending up in the kitchens, tasting food and many times thinking, “I can do that better”. That passion for making it better ultimately led her back to the kitchen, this time in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she pursued her Master’s degree in Culinary Arts at the Grand Rapids Community College. She reflects fondly on her time there, praising her professors and mentors, always “feeling love” and graduated with Honors, as the first Latino to receive the prestigious Director’s Award as well as one of only a handful of women.

She was recruited by Doubletree to be executive chef in Chicago where she learned the strict dietary restrictions in her first Kosher kitchen and did chef rotations with number of Chicago’s top culinary stars including Charlie Trotter.

While working for another restaurant group, she led the culinary operation for the Harley-Davidson Museum, and then the Hockey Arena in Minnesota. Eventually getting married and having three children, her career continued to grow, working at the US Open tennis tournament and famed Kentucky Derby, ultimately landing here in Miami, where she was tapped in 2012 to head up and curate the “What’s Cooking Miami”, ” elevated dining concepts at the American Airlines Arena for the Miami Heat.

It was an exciting time in Miami and a first for an arena or stadium to recognize that fans were looking to celebrate their team with more than just concession stand fare and she is proud to note the addition of Chef Dena Marino’s MC Kitchen, Zuma, Juvia, China Grill and concepts by Chefs Jamie DeRosa and Michael Pirolo. She proudly states that those few years that they were not only about Miami’s “Best on The Court”, but also the “Best off The Court”.

Sodexo/Centerplate enticed her in November of 2017 to move to Hard Rock Stadium where throughout the year, she manages and oversees 157 suites, 4 VIP clubs, 7 kitchens and over 150 employees for events and on gameday. During football season, back-to-back Hurricanes and Dolphins games can result in serving over 8,000 meals. As the first Latina woman to helm the food operation at Hard Rock Stadium, who also speaks 4 languages, she is energized by the possibilities and thrives on the adrenaline rush that comes with every event and gameday.

New for the 2021 season, Hard Rock Stadium has added new dining concepts from Pollo Tropical, Chef Creole, Versailles and Mojo Donuts.

Chef Dayanny has partnered with some of the best chefs in Miami for special concepts in her “72 Club” and “Nine” VIP clubs and lounges. The “Chef Dream Team” as she calls them include:

Joe Bonavita (Wet), Valerie and Nando Chang (Itamae),, Paula DaSilva (the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale), Oscar Del Rivero (Jaguar), Jeremy Ford (Stubborn Seed), Karla Hoyos ( José Andres The Bazaar, and World Central Kitchen). José Mendín (Pubbelly Sushi and La Placita) and Ralph Pagano (Naked Taco),

Chef Dayanny is proud of her plastic-free initiatives and use of local produce and ingredients from area farms and purveyors. and has developed the first allergy-free kitchen in a stadium.

This year, with support from the Miami Dolphins, she has partnered with Florida Technical College to offer and student mentoring program for aspiring young chefs.

On my visit with her, and tour of the various clubs, suites and luxury outlets, we talked about being a woman chef and especially one in the world of sports, stadiums and arenas, and she credited her success to being a strong but still feminine woman. She offered advice to women pursuing a career in culinary to not try to be one of the boys, and don’t ever stop being a woman. She says her strength comes from being a mom and being proud of who she is.

And in one of the more profound moments, she smiled and said, ”One day sitting in my car, I realized that it is not about me, but about being a role model, about mentoring my team, letting the women know that there is no glass ceiling if you stay true to yourself”. “That is my proudest accomplishment’.

Also impressive is her participation after game days with Food Rescue US- Miami. The National nonprofit program MIAbites partnered with last year rescues unsold/unused food from local restaurants, hotels and markets and direct transfers to the homeless shelters like Miami Rescue Mission , Broward Partnership and Lotus House Shelter for Women and Children.

In a little over two years the Centerplate/Hard Rock food rescues totaled over 100,000 lbs of healthy, usable food. Enough food for over 110,000 meals and saved decomposing food from landfills that impact the environment by producing damaging greenhouse and methane gases.

At the 2020 Super Bowl LIV, over 45,000 lbs alone were rescued by Food Rescue US South Florida. Over 37 volunteers spent 3 days packing up unused prepared food, lobster tails, filet mignon, and snacks that went to over 7 different local charities and shelters.

Chef Dayanny said it gives her team a real sense of community and giving back each week when they can pack up and save the food to be donated. She especially is excited when the baked goods and treats are earmarked to go to the children at Lotus House, who rarely get sweets or desserts.

So, during Hispanic Heritage Month, MIAbites is proud to feature Chef Dayanny De La Cruz, for her passion, her compassion, and for being a role model for women anywhere.

Cheers to you, Chef Dayanny!

Follow Chef Dayanny on Instagram at @chefdayannyofficial