Steve Cordova

Chef Panda: From Football Dreams to a Life in Food

Chef Panda was born and raised in Southern California, but his journey to becoming a chef was anything but a straight line. It was a story shaped by family, sports, unexpected setbacks, hard work, and a relentless desire to keep learning.

His love for cooking started at home, in the kitchens of his grandmothers. What began with something as simple as being put in charge of making the salad quickly grew into a genuine passion. He began learning everything he could from both sides of his family, absorbing recipes, techniques, traditions, and—perhaps most importantly—the idea that food has a way of bringing people together.

During his first three years of high school, Chef Panda also got an early introduction to the business side of food and entertainment by helping with his family's catering and DJ business. His first traditional job, however, came during his senior year of high school at Little Caesars Pizza in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

After graduating, he attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, originally with one goal in mind: football. He played football and wrestled while attending classes, although college academics were initially more of a requirement than a calling. Then a Sociology 101 class unexpectedly changed his direction and eventually led him toward a psychology major.

But his college football career came to a sudden end on November 1, 1997, during a game against Idaho State, when he suffered devastating injuries to his ACL, MCL, and PCL.

Suddenly, the dream of playing professional football was over.

Chef Panda returned home to Lake Havasu City to rehab, regroup, and figure out what came next. That next chapter began at Shugrue's, an upscale steakhouse and bar where he learned what it truly meant to cook professionally in a restaurant kitchen.

After moving back to California, he continued building his culinary career and became Executive Sous Chef at American Wilderness Bar & Grill in Ontario, California. The restaurant was unlike anything he had experienced before. Half of the building was a restaurant, while the other half was a walk-through zoo featuring California wildlife. It was another unique experience that expanded his understanding of food, hospitality, and creating memorable experiences for guests.

Then September 11, 2001, changed everything.

Like many people, Chef Panda found himself reassessing his life and career. He stepped away from the restaurant industry, became a volunteer firefighter, and returned to school, earning his associate degree in Fire Technology and EMT training. He went on to work for the California Department of Forestry—now Cal Fire—for four years as a firefighter and 911 dispatcher.

But eventually, the restaurant industry came calling again.

Over the next several years, Chef Panda committed himself to mastering not just cooking, but the entire restaurant operation. He pursued leadership positions and continued learning from every kitchen, chef, and team he encountered. He worked in top-end restaurants, became Executive Chef at Loma Linda University Medical Center, and had the opportunity to learn alongside some remarkable culinary professionals, including Anastasia Rodriguez, now an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, California, and Chef Carla Pellegrino of the legendary Rao's family.

For Chef Panda, the learning never stopped.

His thirst for knowledge eventually took him to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he spent two years with Anheuser-Busch as an Assistant General Manager and Executive Chef.

After years of the demanding restaurant lifestyle—long hours, constant pressure, and the relentless grind—he decided it was time to try something completely different. He moved into the oil industry, working as a floorhand on oil rigs in Wyoming and Utah.

Then COVID-19 hit.

The industry came to a near standstill, and once again, Chef Panda found himself at a crossroads.

Sometimes the biggest chapters in our lives begin with the most unexpected decisions.

One day, almost on a whim, he began searching for jobs in the Ozarks after seeing the area featured on television. He came across a listing for a Food & Beverage Director at a youth baseball facility in Branson, Missouri. He applied and received a call the following day from Scott Bailes, the facility's General Manager, who offered him the position on the spot.

Within two weeks, Chef Panda was packed and headed for Missouri. His family stayed behind temporarily until their lease ended, joining him four months later.

And, as they quickly discovered, the Ozarks wasn't quite everything television had made it look like.

But they stayed.

Chef Panda spent three years at the baseball facility before moving into a Vice President of Food & Beverage position with DCH Hotels. When that opportunity didn't develop as expected, another chapter began at Phoenix Senior Living, where he has served as Food & Beverage Director for the past two years.

Today, Chef Panda brings more than 25 years of experience in the food and beverage industry to the table.

He has worked in virtually every type of restaurant imaginable—from fine dining to quick service. He has bartended in California, Las Vegas, Arizona, and Colorado. He has worked as a chef, executive chef, sous chef, general manager, food and beverage director, and senior leader.

For 17 of those 25-plus years, he has worked in leadership roles.

But perhaps what makes Chef Panda's story most interesting isn't the number of kitchens he's worked in or the titles he's held.

It's everything that happened between them.

The football career that ended with an injury. The firefighter chapter. The oil rigs. The move across the country. The unexpected opportunities. The setbacks. The chefs who taught him. The people who believed in him. And every kitchen that gave him another lesson.

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The dream changed—but the passion never did.

Today, Chef Panda brings all of those experiences together: the discipline of an athlete, the courage of a firefighter, the resilience of someone who has rebuilt his career more than once, and the heart of a chef who first learned to cook at his grandmothers' kitchen tables.

After more than two decades in the industry, he still believes there is always something new to learn—and always another great meal to create.