In 1990, when Juan Zavala first moved to the U.S., he looked around his apartment and realized he was… hungry. That’s when he pulled everything he had from his nearly empty refrigerator and tried to recall his mother’s cooking advice he received over the years as a child. He admits the pork he made that evening was much too salty; however, the experience sparked his passion to become a chef.

Zavala began his hospitality career in the restaurant industry. As a server, he strived to join the culinary side and offered extra time and help in the kitchen, catching the eye some of the industry’s top chefs, including Gary Hill and Diego Fernandez. Zavala proceeded to become Chef de Partie at the Overland Park Marriott in Kansas and he headed the hotel’s kitchen for more than five years.

A native of Mexico City, Zavala grew up in his father’s butcher’s shop and picked up a discerning taste for quality meat and preparation. Zavala also shadowed his mother in the kitchen, picking up family recipes – some passed down for more than 150 years – which are the inspiration for the fresh Coastal Mexican cuisine found on the Cantina Beach menu today.

With more than 20 years in the hospitality industry, Heriberto worked in some of the world’s finest hotels and restaurants before settling in Miami and assuming the role of the country’s only Tequilier. A native of the Dominican Republic, Heriberto acquired knowledge about the history and background of Mexico’s finest tequilas and honed his craft under the tutelage of the hotel's original Tequilier, Tiberio Lobo-Navia.

As part of his tequila immersion, Heriberto spent a week in Jalisco, Mexico, the recognized capital of the tequila region, to visit distilleries and farms, meet with experts and acquire further knowledge of the spirit.

Today, Heriberto continues to expand and refine the restaurant’s 85 quality 100% agave tequilas – the largest collection in South Florida – and provides a unique educational experience for guests with daily tastings, special tequila-paired dinners, and drink suggestions, all while providing a new appreciation of the different styles of tequila and the beverage’s rich history.