OUR TEAM

Our executive chef and co-owner. If you’ve come to visit, chances are you’ve spent some time with him at the table, watching him lead the action in our kitchen… or if you’re lucky, rocking the mic at karaoke 🎤
He has more than 20 years experience in the restaurant industry working at renowned Michelin-starred and World’s Best restaurants such as Blue Hill (NYC, Stone Barns), Carbone/Major Food Group, The Oak Room and Maharlika, one of the restaurants that thrust Filipino cuisine into the national scene.

Executive Chef/Owner

Co-owner and general manager of this very special place. I haven’t always been in the restaurant industry, but I’ve always been in the business of hospitality by creating space for folks to feel seen, loved and cared for.
Whether that was starting random clubs in elementary school, recruiting folks for the Filipino Student Association at the University of Florida (how I met Lo 20 years ago while he was eating alone in peace at the Reitz Union… “hey, are you Filipino?”), or cooking for 30-40 people at my apartment in Chicago for “Filipino Dinner,” building community by sharing our culture, passing it down, and celebrating it has always been a central part of my life.

General Manager/Owner

Say hello to our Sous Chef Mark Anthony Catacutan. His last name translates to “one to be feared.” So intimidating! But Mark is a gentle giant who works hard to ensure Kaya’s kitchen runs smoothly.
He started his career dishwashing at Rum Bay in Palm Island, where from the age of 16 he worked up the ranks to lead line cook. He attended Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando, where he built a stronger foundation of cooking and baking - and met his wife Julie. Over the years he’s worked at restaurants like Deep Blu, Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, The Osprey and Victoria and Albert’s - each stop on the journey adding to his experiences and skillsets, from whole fish fabrication to sushi, molecular gastronomy, wood burning ovens and fine dining. One of his most inspiring experiences was learning the rules of cooking can be bent, opening up new possibilities for creativity and playfulness. He brings all of the above to Kaya, where he is excited to share his beloved Filipino and Kapampangan cuisine.
READ FULL BIO

Sous Chef

This beautiful human is our beloved bar manager, Renate Spurlock. If you’ve had the pleasure to sit in front of her at the bar, you know that she is hospitality, creativity and bayanihan personified!
Renate has been with us from the start and has already made a huge impact on Kaya & Bayani Bar. She’s constantly thinking about ways not only to get the next most delicious spirit, cocktail or bottle of wine into your hands, but also how to continue growing and pushing the entire team to new heights.
READ FULL BIO