Juan Leon - Executive Chef

Born into a culinary family in Guanajuato, Mexico and starting a career at the age of ten by working in his parent’s seafood restaurant, “Ofelia’s”, Chef Leon pursued his passion for cooking and furthered his career by moving to the USA in 1988 and obtained his first position as Sous Chef at the famed “Bistro Gardens” located in Studio City, CA. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus, Chef Leon has since worked with several fine culinary teams and became a part of the Patina Group of Los Angeles, CA in 1998 assisting Chef and Founder Joachim Splichal with special events and catered events such as the James Beard Foundation, NYC U.S. Open Tournaments, and Lufthansa Airlines as well as Patina Catering. Chef Leon has since taken on the challenge of Executive Chef at Hotel Zoso in downtown Palm Springs bringing with him his talent for cooking in different styles and cuisines. Chef Leon will create customized menus in any theme or style for catered events, and also outstanding modern American fare for casual meals presented at Hotel Zoso’s restaurant, eatz.