Bobby Daguplo

What do you attribute your success to?

If I had to attribute my success to one thing, it would be the willingness to keep learning.

After 28 years in the culinary industry and working in different kitchens around the world, I've learned that you never truly arrive. There is always another technique to learn, another ingredient to understand, another person who can teach you something, and another challenge that can make you better.

But learning alone isn't enough. I believe success comes from discipline, consistency, humility, and resilience.

The kitchen has taught me that talent might open a door, but character is what keeps you in the room. There have been long days, difficult services, mistakes, setbacks, and moments when walking away would have been easier. Those experiences taught me to stay focused, take responsibility, and keep moving forward.

I also attribute much of my success to the people I've had the privilege of working with. No chef succeeds alone. Every kitchen is a team, and some of the most important lessons I've learned have come from the cooks, chefs, mentors, managers, and people I've worked beside throughout my career.

As I've grown into leadership, my definition of success has changed. It's no longer just about creating a great dish or running a successful service. It's about developing people, creating opportunities, maintaining high standards, and leaving every kitchen and every team a little stronger than when I found them.

My journey through different countries and culinary cultures also taught me to stay curious. I learned to respect different traditions while developing my own voice. That curiosity continues to influence the way I cook and the way I lead.

And perhaps most importantly, I attribute my success to never losing sight of why I started.

I started because I loved cooking. I loved the energy of the kitchen, the creativity, the teamwork, and the ability to make people happy through food.

After 28 years, that passion is still there.

Success, to me, isn't about reaching a final destination. It's about becoming better than the person you were yesterday—and helping the people around you become better along the way.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I ever received was simple:

“Never stop learning, and never be afraid to start again.”

That advice has stayed with me throughout my career.

When you spend 28 years in this industry, you realize that success isn't a straight line. There are opportunities, setbacks, promotions, failures, changes, and moments when you have to step outside everything you know and begin a new chapter.

The kitchen taught me very early that you can never assume you know everything. There is always another chef who can teach you something, another culture that can change the way you see food, another ingredient that can challenge your creativity, and another young cook who might teach you something you never expected to learn.

I've also learned that your position doesn't define your value—your attitude does.

Whether you're washing dishes, preparing ingredients, running a station, leading a kitchen, or managing an entire operation, give every position your best. Respect the people around you. Do the work when nobody is watching. Be willing to learn from everyone.

And when you make a mistake, own it.

Some of the most important lessons in my career came from things that didn't go according to plan. Instead of being embarrassed by those moments, I learned to use them as fuel to become better.

Today, as a leader, I try to pass that same philosophy on to the people I work with. I tell young cooks that they don't have to know exactly where their career is going. What matters is that they show up, stay curious, work hard, treat people with respect, and keep improving.

Because careers are built one day, one decision, and one lesson at a time.

If I could give one piece of advice to the next generation, it would be this: Stay humble enough to learn, brave enough to take the opportunity, and resilient enough to keep going when the opportunity doesn't work out. Your next chapter may be waiting on the other side of a setback.

What advice would you give to young men entering your industry?

My advice to young men entering the culinary industry is simple: respect the craft, respect the people, and respect the journey.

Don't come into this industry expecting success overnight. Cooking is a profession that takes time to master. You have to be willing to start at the bottom, learn the fundamentals, make mistakes, work through difficult days, and earn your place.

Be curious. Ask questions. Watch the people around you. Learn from every chef you work with, but don't be afraid to eventually develop your own voice.

I would also tell them not to confuse confidence with ego.

A good chef doesn't need to be the loudest person in the kitchen. Leadership is about setting an example, staying calm under pressure, taking responsibility, and bringing the people around you up—not pushing them down.

Work hard, but work smart. Be dependable. Show up prepared. Keep your word.

And take care of your team.

The culinary industry can be demanding, and there will be days when you question whether it's worth it. There will be failures, difficult services, long hours, and moments when you feel like giving up. Those moments can either break you or teach you.

Choose to learn from them.

After 28 years in kitchens around the world, one of the greatest lessons I've learned is that you never stop being a student. Techniques change. Ingredients change. People change. The industry changes. If you stop learning, you stop growing.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to dream beyond the position you have today.

I started with a love for cooking. That passion took me through different kitchens, different cultures, different countries, and eventually into leadership. I never knew exactly where the journey would take me.

Young chefs don't need to have their entire future figured out.

They just need to take the next step seriously.

Master your craft. Stay humble. Take risks. Treat people with respect. Keep learning. And when you finally have the opportunity to lead, remember what it felt like when you were the one looking for someone to believe in you.

Then become that person for someone else.