25: From Line Cook to Restaurant Owner | Dominica Rice-Cisneros, Bombera
“I work really hard, and my staff works really hard, so I have to be in love with that city and that community to do the work that I do.”
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Dominica Rice-Cisneros is the Chef & Owner of Bombera in Oakland, California.
During her long career as a line cook, Dominica worked her way up in fine dining establishments such as Chez Panisse and The Four Seasons, before opening her first restaurant Cosecha to showcase her take on California Mexican cuisine.
Forced to close Cosecha during the Covid-19 pandemic due to its downtown Oakland location, she reopened as Bombera in the Dimond neighborhood, where she is now thriving as a full service restaurant showcasing her Chicano cooking heritage using live fire techniques.
In this interview Dominica shares how she transitioned from career line cook to restaurant owner, including lessons learned along the way.
We discuss:
- Why working as a “stage” was a blessing early in her career
- What inspired her career in food and restaurants
- The importance of connecting with mentors
- Her biggest hurdles transitioning from line cook to restaurant owner
and much more.
Dominica provides a rare perspective from someone who truly workd her way up from the bottom, and provides practical insight for others looking to do the same.
Please enjoy my conversation with Dominica Rice-Cisneros of Bombera!
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Where to find Bombera:
- Website: https://www.bomberaoakland.com/
- IG: bomberaoakland
- FB: bomberaoakland
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Where to find Dominica:
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Where to find Bryan:
- Website: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/
- Twitter: @btublin
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Where to find Kitava:
- Website: https://www.kitava.com/
- Instagram: @kitavakitchen
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Referenced:
In this episode, we cover:
- (01:50) Her journey in food, starting at 14 years old in LA
- (06:50) Why she views being a stage as “a blessing” for someone early in their career
- (09:10) What inspired her to get into food at a high level one day
- (10:05) “You get in through the back door”
- (11:40) Appreciating mentorship and being a student early in your career
- (15:40) Working with mentors
- (16:30) What went well for her when getting started
- (18:30) How she found her restaurant leases
- (19:20) Why she recommends staying away from buying a restaurant lease turn key
- (23:10) Her biggest hurdles on the business side as she transitioned from being a Line Cook
- (33:40) How Dominica funded Bombera
- (35:08) Bringing chips and guacamole to local permitting offices
- (38:00) Learning how to structure the business
- (38:58) Convincing the SBA she was worth giving a loan
- (43:00) Opening Bombera
- (45:48) The future for Bombera, and the importance of recognition from Michelin and James Beard
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