Nearly three decades after first stepping into the Omni Corpus Christi Hotel’s professional kitchen as a 16-year-old student in Carroll High School’s hospitality program, Rodney Livas has returned to where his culinary career began, now as executive sous chef. With early influences from his grandparents’ family business, Prescott Bakery, Livas attended culinary school in Rhode Island before building a career that took him through kitchens across the country and eventually led him to own a restaurant back home.
Along the way, professional challenges, influential mentors and his own competitive drive helped shape his approach to both cooking and leadership. Now, with a career that has come full circle, Livas is committed to giving the next generation of culinary professionals the same mentorship and opportunities that launched his own.
KYLIE COOPER: You were recently awarded the Coin of Excellence at the Texas Chefs Association/ACF State Convention. What did it mean to you?
Rodney Livas: Receiving the Coin of Excellence was a tremendous honor, especially coming from an organization and group of chefs I deeply respect. To me, the recognition represents more than an individual accomplishment. It represents years of commitment to the craft, the people I’ve worked alongside and our responsibility as chefs to keep moving our profession forward.
I believe recognition brings responsibility. It challenges you to continue holding yourself to a higher standard while using your experience to create opportunities for others. At this stage of my career, being recognized for what I’ve accomplished means a lot. But knowing that my work might influence another young culinarian or contribute to something positive within our professional community means even more.
COOPER: You were also named the Chefs of the Coastal Bend’s 2025 Chapter Chef of the Year. When you look at recognitions like these, what feels most meaningful to you: the personal accomplishment, recognition from your peers or what it says about the work happening here in the Coastal Bend?
LIVAS: It’s definitely all of the above, but if I had to choose one, I would say recognition from my peers carries the most weight. When you’ve spent your life in this profession, you understand what it takes to succeed. The people recognizing you are chefs who have experienced those same long hours, the pressure of service, the sacrifices and the commitment it takes to keep showing up every day. Being named Chapter Chef of the Year was an incredibly humbling experience because it came from people whose work and dedication I respect.
But I also see it as a reflection of what’s happening here in the Coastal Bend. We have talented chefs, educators, restaurateurs and culinary professionals who are doing remarkable things, often without receiving the attention they deserve. One of my goals is to help change that. If my recognition can help bring more visibility to our chapter and encourage others to get involved, then that makes the honor even more meaningful. I don’t want my greatest accomplishment to be something hanging on a wall. I’d rather it be the people I’ve helped develop and the impact I’ve had on the profession.
COOPER: How has working at The Omni shaped you as a chef, and what opportunities or experiences have been most influential in your growth?
LIVAS: The Omni has played a unique role in my life because it’s where I first entered a professional hotel kitchen as a teenager, and now I serve as executive sous chef. Working in a hotel environment challenges you in ways that differ from running a standalone restaurant. One day you’re focused on restaurant service; the next you’re coordinating large-scale banquet production, special events or multiple outlets with completely different culinary needs. That environment teaches you to think beyond the plate.
Working alongside Chef Dean Sprague and our culinary leadership team has also continued to challenge me to grow, not just as a chef but as a leader. In a hotel environment, especially one with multiple culinary outlets, large-scale banquets and constantly changing demands, you can’t succeed by reacting to everything around you. You have to anticipate, communicate, prioritize and move with purpose. There’s a time to take charge; a time to support someone else; and a time to stand back and let your team execute. That’s been one of my biggest areas of growth as a chef.
COOPER: Outside of your role at the Omni, you serve as director of the Chefs of the Coastal Bend. What made you want to take on a leadership role within the organization?
LIVAS: I reached a point in my career where I began thinking more seriously about what I wanted to contribute to the profession beyond my own accomplishments. I’ve been fortunate to learn, travel, work with talented chefs and build a career doing something I genuinely love. But I also know that not every young person interested in culinary arts has access to those same opportunities.
That’s a big part of why I wanted to become more involved with the Chefs of the Coastal Bend.
I saw an opportunity to help strengthen our chapter, bring culinary professionals together and create meaningful connections between the industry, our educators and the students who represent its future. As director, I want our chapter to be more than an organization that holds meetings. I want us to be active in our community, support culinary education, provide mentorship, create professional development opportunities and help our members grow.
COOPER: How would you describe your personal approach to cooking?
LIVAS: I would describe my cooking philosophy as balancing respect for tradition, understanding technique and not being afraid to push boundaries. Growing up in South Texas, I was surrounded by flavors and food traditions deeply connected to family and culture. Those influences will always be a part of who I am as a chef.
But my career also took me far beyond Corpus Christi. Working in New England, studying at Johnson & Wales and learning from chefs with different backgrounds expanded the way I understood food. I developed a deep appreciation for classical techniques and the fundamentals of cooking, but I also learned that those techniques are tools, not limitations.
I’ve always enjoyed experimenting, challenging myself and finding ways to elevate something familiar without losing what made it special in the first place. I like food that has character. I appreciate bold flavors, proper technique and the craftsmanship that goes into executing even the simplest dishes exceptionally well.
When I owned The Taco Shop, for example, I took tremendous pride in something as simple as a tortilla. In 2019, we won Best Tortilla at Corpus Christi’s Que-Bueno Taco Fest. To some people, it’s just a tortilla. To me, it represented tradition, technique, consistency and the attention to detail that should go into everything we make.
I also believe timing is one of cooking’s most underrated elements. Understanding your ingredients, equipment, preparation sequence and the right moment to execute can make the difference between a good dish and an exceptional one.
I enjoy the creative side of cooking, and I love the energy of a busy kitchen. But behind that creativity and energy, you need to understand the fundamentals. Great food doesn’t have to be complicated, but it should always be intentional. Understand your ingredients. Respect the process. Master the fundamentals. And never lose the desire to learn something new.
COOPER: Has your definition of success changed as you’ve moved further into a leadership role?
LIVAS: Absolutely. Success means something very different to me today than it did when I was a young chef. Early in my career, success was about proving myself. I’ve always been competitive, and I wanted to get better, learn new techniques, take on more responsibility and eventually lead my own kitchen. But as I grew professionally, I began to understand that being a great cook and being a great chef are two different things. A great cook can execute. A great chef builds a team that can execute, develops people, manages challenges and creates an environment where everyone has an opportunity to improve.
Some of my greatest personal victories today come from watching the people around me succeed. Earning my Certified Executive Chef credential was an important personal milestone, but it also reinforced something I’ve come to believe: Knowledge and experience become more valuable when they’re shared.
I also think about my family and my children. I want them to understand that success isn’t defined solely by your position, your income or the recognition you receive, but by your character, the work you’re willing to put in and the impact you have on others. At this stage of my career, success isn’t about how far I can go, but how many people I can help move forward along the way.
COOPER: What do you think people outside the industry might not realize about the culinary talent and professional community that exists in the Coastal Bend?
LIVAS: I think a lot of people would be surprised by just how much culinary talent we have in the Coastal Bend. We have chefs and culinary professionals with experience in major hotels, fine-dining restaurants, resorts and kitchens across the country. But what impresses me just as much is the talent emerging from our local culinary programs. We have passionate educators, dedicated students and young cooks who are eager to learn and develop their skills.
I’ve had opportunities to work with local culinary students and observe them in competitive environments. Seeing their creativity and willingness to challenge themselves reminds me just how much potential exists in our own backyard.
People sometimes overlook that our culinary community extends far beyond the restaurants where they eat. An entire network of chefs, instructors, hospitality professionals, suppliers and organizations works behind the scenes. Through the Chefs of the Coastal Bend, I’ve had the opportunity to work with people who genuinely care about advancing the profession and supporting one another.
What I’d like the public to understand is that culinary professionals aren’t simply people preparing meals. They’re skilled craftspeople, educators, business owners, mentors and leaders who contribute to the local economy and the identity of our community. You don’t necessarily have to travel to a major culinary destination to find talented chefs and outstanding food. We have both right here at home.
COOPER: What do you think the Coastal Bend culinary scene does particularly well right now, and where do you see room to keep growing?
LIVAS: One thing the Coastal Bend does particularly well is staying connected to its culinary identity. We have incredible access to Gulf seafood, a strong South Texas food culture and generations of family recipes and traditions that help define our region. Food connects people here in a special way. Whether it’s fresh seafood, barbecue, Tex-Mex or a family-owned restaurant that’s been serving the community for decades, our culinary culture has a strong sense of place.
I also think we’re seeing chefs and restaurateurs who are willing to challenge themselves, introduce new concepts and bring different influences into the local dining scene. I believe healthy competition benefits the industry. It pushes us to improve, encourages creativity and raises expectations. But competition and collaboration shouldn’t be opposites. We can challenge one another to improve while still supporting each other’s success.
I see the greatest opportunity for growth in building stronger connections among our schools, culinary programs, restaurants, hotels and professional organizations. We need to give our young culinarians reasons to believe they can build meaningful careers here. We also need to invest in one another, share knowledge, support independent businesses and recognize the talent we already have. I’d love to see the Coastal Bend continue developing a stronger identity as a culinary destination—not by trying to become somewhere else, but by embracing what makes our region unique.
Now it’s about raising our standards, investing in our people and ensuring the next generation has every opportunity to take what we’ve built even further.
Contact: @rodney_livas
