Meet Dominique Benavidez | Agridulce; Catering & Private Chef services

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dominique Benavidez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dominique, what do you attribute your success to?
My brand, Agridulce, is a Latin based brand that translates to “sweet and sour” which reflects the flavors in my cooking as well as my personality. For me the most important factor has been, the people that have supported and helped me achieve my goals with branching out and starting my own business. I have had a business coach who pushed me to want more and be successful in my own terms and held me accountable, friends who have helped me from large events to private dinners, and most importantly a sister who has been there with me every step of the way and has supported my business. Without them behind me I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I would say my sobriety is what I am most proud of. It took a lot of self reflection and self awareness to get to where I am at today. If I didn’t get sober I don’t think I would have made it this far in my career. That had to have been my biggest challenge. In the culinary world there is a lot of substance abuse and I became heavily involved in that part. It took over my life and I became reliant on it. I definitely think that this industry has a bad reputation when it comes to drugs and alcohol. It’s easy to get dragged into it. I had hit multiple rock bottoms before truly understanding the hold it had on me. It wasn’t until I got my business/life coach that I decided nothing was working and I put myself through out-patient. That’s when my courage came back and I decided to start my own path. I have learned so many lessons along the way. I have learned that you can’t just talk about your goals or dream about them but you have to make the steps to create them and make them become a reality. I have gotten out of my comfort zone and put myself out there. I have taken my failures and turned them into victories. I am really proud of how far I have come and I am looking forward to the business I will continue to grow. Venturing out on your own isn’t a walk in the park but it is so rewarding and fulfilling if you stick to it and work hard. I am more than just my failures, I am my success stories too.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Definitely take them down Sawtelle street in Westwood. Johnnies Pastramis in Culver City is my favorite! Malibu has great surfing and hikes, so we would start on the hikes and head to the beach for a dip.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I know I said this already, but I cannot express enough how appreciative I am of the people that have had my back throughout this entire process. My business coach, Xiomara, went to Culinary school with me. She has been in the industry for a long time. Her parents own a catering company in San Diego and has an immense amount of experience. So when we started working together on my business, she shared a lot of knowledge and a lot of the do’s and don’ts of the industry. She also helped me get sober which led me to be the person I am today. I owe so much to her. She deserves more than a shout out. My sister, Monique, has been there with me at almost all events. She is my right hand woman. She has been in every part of my business, from front of the house staff to back of the house, to helping with dishes to decorating the dinner tables. Monique is literally the back bone of Agridulce. I have to give a shout out to my friend Irving, who is also a chef and has his own catering company to grow but is always there for me when I need him. He has a lot to do with my success as well. My friends Mirella and Marisa who have helped me with big and small events working both front and back of the house. And I want to give a HUGE shout out to all the people who have come to my dinners and to those who continue to show up for me. Without my clients I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Website: https://dombenavidez.com

Instagram: chef.benavidez