How CNM Helped This Grad Bring a Taste of Costa Rica to New Mexico
For Kattia Rojas, “buen provecho” means more than “enjoy your meal.” To her, it represents her dedication to her craft and culture.
“When I told my culinary instructor at CNM I wanted to name my restaurant ‘Buen Provecho’ I was sure he would tell me to change it,” she says. “But he told me just the opposite, and said the name speaks to me, my family, and everything I’ve worked so hard for. This is just one example of the support and encouragement I received at CNM, and I truly wouldn’t be here today without it.”
Kattia was born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, where she also went to college and earned her degree in marketing. Once she graduated, she decided to move to the United States to learn English and pursue a career with a large marketing firm.
Her first stop was New Jersey, where she lived with her uncle and other extended family. She started working for her uncle’s machine company and enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to keep improving her English. During this time Kattia met her husband, William, who’s also Costa Rican.
Shortly after Kattia and William got married, they had the opportunity to work as ranch managers in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It was here that Kattia rediscovered her love for cooking.
“I had always loved cooking, but at the ranch I was cooking for 20 to 30 people at a time, and it was like a whole new world opened up for me,” she says. “I knew this was my gift and I wanted to pursue it seriously.”
The couple spent the summers in Pagosa Springs and lived in Albuquerque during the offseason, so Kattia decided to enroll in CNM’s Baking program in 2011. Once she completed that program and earned her Culinary Arts associate degree, Kattia says she had learned everything she needed to know about owning a restaurant.
“If I hadn’t gone to CNM, I wouldn’t own my restaurant today,” Kattia says. “I learned so much more than how to be a chef. I learned how to be an entrepreneur. I left the program knowing how to apply everything I’d learned, which was the key to my success."
After graduating from CNM in 2015, Kattia began selling traditional Costa Rican tamales and desserts at the various markets in Albuquerque. Then in May 2018, Kattia opened Buen Provecho in the historic El Vado Motel, and her dream of owning a Costa Rican restaurant came true.
“When I came to the United States, I had no idea this is where it would take me, but I’m truly living my dream,” she says. “I’m a born saleswoman and I love to cook, and now those skills work hand-in-hand. I’m so thankful to still be in business after all these years, and I have no plans of stopping any time soon.”
Looking forward, Kattia hopes to open a second location in Albuquerque and eventually wants to open a location in Costa Rica. She’s also a strong advocate of education and would encourage others to go back to school.
“When you’re pursuing your dream the biggest piece of advice I can give is to believe in yourself and to not be afraid to ask for help,” she says. “I’m here today because I kept pushing myself and I found people to help me along the way, and it has truly changed my life for the better. If I can do it, I know others can do it too.”