KNEAD Hospitality + Design has announced that Chef Juan Pablo Loza has joined Mi Vida as Culinary Director. This is the first menu change of its kind for both KNEAD and Mi Vida since opening in 2018 as the group continues its ongoing market expansion with locations across Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Virginia Beach.
The exciting new chapter is a culmination of seven years of a professional relationship and friendship with KNEAD Hospitality + Design co-principals, Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin, who first connected with Loza during his tenure at Rosewood Mayakoba.
“We’ve known Chef Juan Pablo for many years and have always admired his approach to cooking and hospitality,” said Berry. “We’ve had the opportunity to watch his career evolve since we first met him at Rosewood Mayakoba, so having him lead the next chapter of Mi Vida’s culinary direction feels like a very natural fit.”
Loza grew up in Mexico City’s Xochimilco neighborhood, spending afternoons at the local market with his mother and grandmother cleaning beans and prepping tomatillos. He began training at 16 under French chef Olivier Lombard, followed by four years in the high-pressure kitchen of Mexico City’s Lasser. He went on to win the Guillermo Ríos Young Mexican Chef Competition, a national competition hosted by Ambrosia Centro Culinario and judged by chefs including Enrique Olvera and Ricardo Muñoz Zurita. After culinary positions at Le Cirque, Ciboulette and L’Olivier, Loza built an international hospitality career with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Belmond and Auberge Resorts Collection across Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. He spent eight years as Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Operations at Rosewood Mayakoba, overseeing six restaurants and bars—including Zapote Bar, ranked No. 11 on North America’s 50 Best Bars in 2023 and 2024—and transforming a beach food truck he launched into the $8 million Aqui Me Quedo beach club. Most recently, he served as Director of Culinary Experiences at Chileno Bay Resort & Residences before opening Señora Cocina, Casa & Cantina in San José del Cabo in March 2025. His extensive experience across international luxury resort markets gives him a unique perspective on bridging American diners’ tastes with authentic, regional Mexican flavors and ingredients.
Loza will bring what he calls his own version of Mexico to the Mi Vida menu – lighter, brighter cooking built on vegetables, acidity, and technique. His approach challenges misconceptions that Mexican cooking is “heavy” by highlighting its fresh, vibrant nature. He’s rebalancing the menu’s traditional weight, turning some of Mi Vida’s richer dishes into starters while building new main courses designed to feel lighter without sacrificing flavor: a chile-rubbed salmon over avocado-citrus purée with a cucumber and preserved lemon salad; ribs reimagined through the lens of tacos al pastor, finished with charred pineapple and cured onion; a crispy pork shank recast as carnitas alongside a bright, citrus-lifted salsa verde; and a banana leaf-wrapped barbacoa short rib served with a chilled, chickpea salad for contrast. A guacamole built with grasshoppers and chorizo, “Guacamole Oaxaca,” reflects his belief that trying something unfamiliar is part of what makes dining out worth it.
Mi Vida, Spanish for “my life,” is a fitting name for what Loza calls deeply personal cooking. By merging his culinary vision with KNEAD’s signature design, Loza is looking forward to being a part of DC’s thriving culinary scene. “Cooking has always been a deeply personal expression of who I am, where I come from, and the experiences that have shaped me,” said Loza. “I’m excited to bring my perspective to Mi Vida, while honoring the cuisine I grew up eating. DC has such a dynamic, international culinary community that I am looking forward to being a part of as I start my next chapter with KNEAD.”
Loza succeeds founding Culinary Director Roberto Santibañez, who opened Mi Vida alongside KNEAD co-principals Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin in 2018. Loza’s menu debuts 10/13 followed by interactive events including market-to-table experiences and cooking sessions designed to bring guests closer to the kitchen in the coming
