Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Marciano.
Hi Ariel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Ariel Marciano, im 33 years old, my love to cooking is from my grandmother who taught me everything I know , I realized something most people in this industry overlook —
people don’t remember the food the way we think they do…
they remember how you made them feel.
And that changed everything for me.
I started getting into private dining, smaller events, more intimate settings…
and I became obsessed with the experience side of it.
Not just what we were serving — but how it was being served.
The energy in the room. The pacing. The presentation. The reaction.
That’s when I made a decision —
I wasn’t going to build a catering company.
I was going to build something that felt like a performance.
That’s where Chef de la Mesa came from.
And the whole philosophy behind it is simple:
we don’t cater, we perform.
Every event for me is like a stage.
The food is part of it, but it’s also the visuals, the movement, the atmosphere —
sometimes there’s fire, sometimes there’s smoke, sometimes it’s just precision and silence…
but it always has to feel like something.
As things started growing, I leaned into that identity even more.
We started working with higher-end clients, brands, private events,
and I realized quickly — this isn’t just about food anymore.
It’s about building a brand people trust for a certain level of experience.
Now, I look at what we’re building as way bigger than just events.
We’re building a platform.
Between our event space, brand partnerships, media concepts like Off the Mesa,
and even product lines we’re developing —
everything ties back to the same idea:
creating experiences people don’t forget.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not even close.
It looks smooth from the outside now, but the reality is… it’s been a lot of pressure, a lot of risk, and a lot of figuring things out in real time.
In the beginning, one of the biggest struggles was getting people to understand what I was actually offering.
Everyone hears “catering” and immediately puts you in a box — trays of food, standard service, nothing memorable.
And I was trying to sell something completely different… an experience, a performance.
So there were a lot of moments where:
People didn’t see the value
Budgets didn’t align
Or I had to walk away from opportunities because it didn’t represent the brand properly
That’s not easy when you’re building.
Another challenge was doing everything myself at the start.
You’re the chef, the salesperson, the creative director, the operations manager…
and at the same time you’re trying to deliver a luxury experience every single time.
There’s no room to mess up when you’re positioning yourself at a high level.
So the pressure is constant.
Then there’s the reality of the industry itself.
Events are unpredictable.
Things go wrong.
Timelines shift.
Staffing isn’t always perfect.
You can plan everything down to the smallest detail…
and still have to pivot in the moment and solve problems without anyone feeling it on the guest side.
That’s something I’ve had to get really good at.
And honestly, one of the harder parts has been protecting the brand while growing it.
Not saying yes to everything.
Not chasing every dollar.
Staying consistent with the level of experience we’re known for.
Because the easiest way to grow fast…
is also the easiest way to lose what makes you different.
But at the same time, all of those challenges shaped what this is today.
They forced me to:
Think bigger than just food
Build systems and structure
Be selective
And stay clear on the vision
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At its core, Chef de la Mesa is a luxury culinary experience company.
Yes, we provide food — but that’s honestly just one part of what we do.
What we really specialize in is creating immersive, high-impact experiences for private clients, brands, and events. Everything we design is built around one idea:
how do we make people feel something they don’t forget?
We operate across a few different layers.
On one side, we do high-end private dining and large-scale events — everything from intimate dinners to 200+ guest experiences. That includes:
Passed canapés and cocktail-style service
Live chef stations
Fully curated multi-course dinners
Large experiential activations
And then on the other side, we work heavily with brands and corporate clients — helping them bring their events to life through food, presentation, and overall atmosphere.
What we’re really known for is the performance aspect.
We don’t believe in traditional catering.
Everything we do is designed to feel elevated, intentional, and visually impactful.
That could mean:
Live cooking stations that feel like a show
Signature experiences like our meat carving presentations
Interactive elements with guests
Or simply extremely refined, detail-driven service and plating
Sometimes it’s high energy, sometimes it’s very minimal and precise —
but it always has a point of view.
I think what sets us apart is that we’ve built the brand around identity, not just service.
We’re very clear on who we are and what we represent.
We’re not trying to be for everyone.
We’re not competing on price.
We focus on clients who value experience, storytelling, and execution at a high level.
That clarity allows us to be consistent — and consistency builds trust.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is that people don’t just book us for food anymore.
They book us because they know what it feels like to have Chef de la Mesa involved.
There’s a certain standard, a certain energy, a certain level of care that comes with it.
And that’s something we’ve built very intentionally.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
To be honest, I don’t rely on one single thing — it’s more about constantly feeding my mind with the right inputs.
But there are definitely a few books, podcasts, and tools that have had a real impact on how I think and operate.
Books
One of the biggest ones for me is Atomic Habits.
That book really changed how I look at discipline.
It’s not about massive changes — it’s about small, consistent habits that compound over time, and that’s something I apply daily in business.
Another one is The 4-Hour Workweek.
It opened my mind to thinking differently about work — not just working more, but designing your life, delegating, and focusing on what actually moves the needle.
And I’d say books like Zero to One helped me understand the importance of building something unique instead of just following what already exists.
Podcasts
I’m big on podcasts because they feel like real conversations.
One I go back to a lot is The Tim Ferriss Show.
He breaks down how top performers think — from athletes to CEOs — and pulls out the routines and habits that actually work.
Another one I respect is The Diary of a CEO.
It’s less surface-level and more about the psychology behind success — the pressure, the mindset, the reality behind building something.
And then even things like Getting Things Done are great for structure — learning how to manage your time and stay organized when things get chaotic
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chefdelamesa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chef.de.la.mesa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefdelaMesa.ArielMarciano
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-marciano-0a9952261/
