KNEAD Taps Rosewood Veteran Juan Pablo Loza to Run Mi Vida Kitchens

By Rebecca Stone

Mi Vida will change culinary directors for the first time since opening in 2018. KNEAD Hospitality + Design has named Chef Juan Pablo Loza to the post, and his new menu lands Oct. 13 at the Mexican concept's locations in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Virginia Beach.

Loza succeeds founding Culinary Director Roberto Santibañez, who opened Mi Vida with KNEAD co-principals Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin. The change marks the first menu overhaul of this scale for both the group and the brand.

The hire caps a seven-year relationship. Berry and Reginbogin first met Loza during his tenure at Rosewood Mayakoba, the Riviera Maya resort where he spent eight years as Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Operations overseeing six restaurants and bars.

"We've known Chef Juan Pablo for many years and have always admired his approach to cooking and hospitality," Berry said. "Having him lead the next chapter of Mi Vida's culinary direction feels like a very natural fit."

What does Loza bring to the table?

His résumé reads like a luxury-resort itinerary. Loza trained at 16 under French chef Olivier Lombard in Mexico City, then spent four years at the kitchen of Lasser there. He won the Guillermo Ríos Young Mexican Chef Competition, judged by chefs including Enrique Olvera, and held posts at Le Cirque, Ciboulette and L'Olivier before building an international career with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Belmond and Auberge Resorts Collection across Mexico, the Caribbean and South America.

The numbers follow him. At Rosewood Mayakoba, Loza ran Zapote Bar, ranked No. 11 on North America's 50 Best Bars in both 2023 and 2024, and turned a beach food truck he launched into the $8 million Aqui Me Quedo beach club. Most recently he directed culinary experiences at Chileno Bay Resort & Residences and opened Señora Cocina, Casa & Cantina in San José del Cabo in March 2025.

How is the menu changing?

Loza promises what he calls his own version of Mexico — lighter, brighter cooking built on vegetables, acidity and technique. The strategy is menu engineering as much as philosophy: richer existing dishes shift to the starter course, while new entrées aim lighter without conceding flavor. It is a direct play against the perception that Mexican food is heavy.

Specific plates include:

• Chile-rubbed salmon over avocado-citrus purée with cucumber and preserved lemon salad
• Ribs reworked through the lens of tacos al pastor, finished with charred pineapple and cured onion
• Crispy pork shank recast as carnitas alongside citrus-lifted salsa verde
• Banana leaf-wrapped barbacoa short rib with a chilled chickpea salad
• "Guacamole Oaxaca," built with grasshoppers and chorizo

The sourcing logic runs regional and ingredient-first. Loza grew up in Mexico City's Xochimilco neighborhood, prepping tomatillos and cleaning beans at the market with his mother and grandmother. He frames the new menu as a bridge between American diners and authentic regional Mexican flavors.

"Cooking has always been a deeply personal expression of who I am, where I come from, and the experiences that have shaped me," Loza said. "I'm excited to bring my perspective to Mi Vida, while honoring the cuisine I grew up eating."

What comes after the debut?

The Oct. 13 rollout arrives with programming attached. Interactive market-to-table experiences and cooking sessions will follow, designed to pull guests closer to the kitchen as KNEAD continues its multi-market expansion.

For a group that has not touched this brand's culinary leadership in seven years, the bet is clear: Loza's resort-level pedigree and lighter format will carry Mi Vida into its next growth phase.