Today we’d like to introduce you to Rolando Diaz.
Hi Rolando, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. Before we ask about your work life, you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in the beautiful paradise of Costa Rica for 20 years. My mother was a hard-working single mother who cared for my 2 sisters and me very well. I was born in NY, but when I was just a baby, she returned to Costa Rica, where I stayed until age 21. A good friend of mine from MN invited me to come and visit for a while at his parents’ home; there, I learned the language since I did not know any English, got a job, and became independent. I worked various jobs, from selling cars to restaurants, retail stores, and construction. Once comfortable with my English, I started selling private Chef events or parties where I could cook and make extra money at venues or people’s homes. After doing that for a while, I married my wife, who has been a backbone since the beginning, and then it was the both of us doing private events where I was the Chef, and she was the server. From there, we started to book more significant events and graduations—corporate events and weddings. Since 2015, we have consecutively won Best of Weddings in MN awards, thanks to our clients’ great reviews.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Challenges and obstacles are part of the process. You are not growing or scratching the surface if you are not hitting them along the way. This is where maturity and innovation come into play because you constantly have to problem-solve everything that gets tossed your way. From finances, laws, permits, accounting, taxes, building a reputation, dealing with complaints, training staff to create a process for each department, having kids, a home, health, etc. Everything needs to be adjusted to keep a bit of a smooth road, but understanding that the road is only “smooth” if you patch it and maintain it before you go over it is vital. You must stay humble and understand the challenge to create a plan.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Marnas Catering/Marnas Eatery?
As mentioned, we focused mainly on weddings after doing private chef events. Corporate events, and from there, we started to create a reputation and connections with venues and other vendors in the wedding industry that helped us grow and work with a different clientele. From doing 6 weddings a year, we started doing 120 to 145 events and having a different menu and all-inclusive package deals set us apart from other companies. After years of catering, we opened our restaurant in 2019, serving a more Latin American flair influenced by Costa Rica.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Consistency and keeping a positive mind during difficult times to better problem-solve everything is effortless to become discouraged when the challenging parts of becoming a successful hit, but feeling that way is necessary because we start learning to become balanced. Remember your beginning and your process, and acknowledge it all the time during difficult times.
Contact Info:
