Ivo Diaz Of Casa Ora: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Chef or Restauranteur

Know Your Motivation: It will cost a lot more than you expect — monetarily, emotionally and physically — and you need something to keep you grounded to push on.

As part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restauranteur”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ivo Diaz.

Born in Venezuela and raised in New York, Ivo Diaz has spent the last 18 years working his way from line cook to restaurateur. Now an experienced mixologist, chef, and consultant, Ivo has assisted in curating the food and cocktail programs at notable New York establishments including The Nomad Hotel, Eleven Madison Park, and One Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. In 2019, Ivo, his wife Rachel, and his mother Isbelis, set out to open a concept of their own. Ivo is thrilled that Casa Ora is the first ever Venezuelan restaurant to be recognized by Michelin — he’s proud to continue supporting his Venezuelan community. Ivo would be honored to weigh in on his experience rising the ranks of the restaurateur space, highlighting his challenges and key learnings.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restaurateur?

After moving to New York City from Maracaibo, Venezuela, as a teenager, I quickly started working in restaurants as a dishwasher and patiently climbed the ranks of the kitchen. I learned front of house hospitality through serving, bartending, and years later transitioned into management and consulting with restaurants and hotels throughout the city. I was fascinated by every aspect of the restaurant world, and this, paired with my love for my native country’s home cooking, drove me to open Casa Ora. Since then, we’ve been the first ever Venezuelan restaurant to be recognized by Michelin.

Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food?

At Casa Ora, our goal is to showcase the quality and diversity of Venezuelan cuisine in new ways, through innovative recipes inspired by family. The restaurant is named after our 3-year-old daughter Ora and co-owned by myself and my wife Rachel Pirard Diaz, and I also work alongside my mother, Chef Isbelis Diaz. We aim to bring joy to everyone experiencing our cuisine — nothing is more meaningful than when a fellow Venezuelan cries after trying our food because it reminds them of their home and family in Venezuela. For those guests who may be trying Venezuelan food for the first time, I really want to bring to light the beauty and diversity of Venezuelan cuisine.

Can you share a specific (brief) story about what first drew you to the idea of cooking Venezuelan food?

After working so many years in fine dining, I really started asking myself why no one else had done this for Venezuelan cuisine. Venezuelan food is unique, diverse, and absolutely delicious, and I often felt let down seeing only arepas being featured in many Venezuelan spaces.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you became a restaurateur? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?

When I was in negotiations for signing the lease at Casa Ora, our friends and past co-workers were so excited for us. They offered to donate funds or provide discounted services, like assistance with sourcing materials and furniture. I was so excited that I had all of these opportunities to bring amazing team members together to help me build Casa Ora. I budgeted accordingly and we soon signed the lease on the space. But as soon as we announced when we would open, the favors and help being offered disappeared. I no longer had contacts willing to help with affordable flooring, marble work, or anything else, and couldn’t financially afford to hire professionals to build everything my white box space needed. I really had to dig into my experience as an 18 year old immigrant — I worked construction on the weekends and did everything myself. I worked 18 hour days, going to Home Depot in the morning, and pulling up Youtube videos to learn, step-by-step, how to build dining booths, how to build a bar from scratch, and everything in between. This taught me to appreciate humble beginnings. Anytime there is a setback, it is important to not sit back and feel defeated, but rather find solutions to how you can pivot and make your new reality successful.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? How did you overcome this obstacle?

If you asked me before March 2020, I would have told you “just getting the doors open,” with all of the permits, licenses, community board approval, and curveball expenses you never see coming when you’re opening a restaurant. Since March 2020, we of course experienced all of the struggles and uncertainties of the pandemic. Another challenge has been trying to achieve a work/life balance. There are days when I go to work at 7am and return after dinner service at 1am. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to all of the small elements of restaurant ownership, but I keep reminding myself that doing my best sometimes means saving a job for the next day.

In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?

Having a story and purpose behind your dishes, and making sure they are backed by high quality ingredients and interesting flavor pairings.

Personally, what is the “perfect meal” for you?

Having an assortment of different flavors, textures, and colors throughout the meal to continue to excite the palate.

Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?

My inspiration always comes from my childhood and my mother, Isbelis. I love to turn my family’s home cooking into a more refined and unique dining experience for our guests. After living in the United States for so many years and learning different cooking techniques, I find it really fun to see how we can mix traditional cuisine with New-American style. I find that I do my best creative work when I’m well-rested, which isn’t easy, as I’m an insomniac. I feel naturally creative and curious, but look to quiet time with my family, being in nature, and spirituality as ways to recharge.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?

I have a lot of ideas rolling around for new projects and am just looking for the time and space to do them. I have a little one on the way, or maybe already by the time you are reading this! I want to have the space and energy to support my family before jumping into the next project. That being said, I’m very excited to bring a Venezuelan bakery to the city, as well as a speakeasy cocktail bar.The goal for these spaces is to expand and elevate Venezuelan cuisine and culture, past the current humanitarian crisis that the country is currently experiencing.

What advice would you give to other restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout?

Put hospitality first for both your team and your guests. It’s hard to hear that things need to improve on any side, but it is important to take that feedback to move in the right direction. In addition, make your team feel important in the commonly referred to “toxic workplace” of kitchen or serving life. Make the space an amazing place to work, while always translating that energy into the quality of service. Avoid burnout by giving team members all of their own authority and roles in the space, and know how to delegate so they feel trusted and you don’t have to manage every small aspect of the business.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Restaurateur” and why? Please share a brief example for each.

• Know Your Motivation: It will cost a lot more than you expect — monetarily, emotionally and physically — and you need something to keep you grounded to push on.
• Delegate jobs among your team, give each member their own authority and value, so they feel cared for and invested in the work.
• Care about where you are sourcing your products from, know if the farms are sustainable, and provide products that are good for both the guest and the environment.
• Don’t work with family, but also do work with family. Nothing is harder than a group of people who care equally about the space, all with different perspectives. However, keep in mind that these are the people you should be able to trust with your life — and let them know that.
• Be punctual and responsive as a business owner. Address issues quickly, and always keep a good line of communication with vendors, team needs, and guests.

What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?

That dish would be Bollitos Pelones, which is almost like a stuffed dumpling. This was a dish I was very fond of as a child. My grandmother would take out leftover meats and roll them into a corn masa exterior, then boil them to create a steamy soft corn ball, which was then sauteed into a vegetable sauce we call guiso. I hope that when people taste this dish at Casa Ora, there is something in the back of their minds that pulls them to a moment of nostalgia in their own life.

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Hospitality always. Extending warm hearts and hands beyond just the guests, and through to the entire team at the restaurant, to remove the stigma of restaurants being a toxic workplaces.

Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!