Staff Focus: Benny Chavarria

Where are you from? Give us a little backstory.

I grew up in a small town called Cash, Texas. It was a 400-person town, so when I say small beginnings, it’s small small. I was going to be the first from my family to graduate from college. I was going to be the second or third of my family to graduate from high school. I’m also dyslexic. I’ve worked really hard at fine tuning it, but when I was a kid, I didn't really have a means of expression. That is, until I became a musician. 

When I was a kid, I helped in the kitchen at a Committee on Aging, which was like Meals on Wheels. My mother was the bookkeeper. It was a kitchen for elderly people where they could come in, eat, and socialize. And if they couldn't make it, we would make meals on wheels and deliver. Growing up, I found that environment to be a really important learning experience. They also had a piano. Later in life, I picked up playing; and I ran with it. Music became my first real creative endeavor. 

How did you become involved with Common House?

I was the GM and Chef at a French seafood restaurant for years, it was a kind of a mom and pop shop; and we got through the pandemic, but it was really brutal. A few years ago, I was close to getting completely burnt out on my first love: music. And I didn't want that to happen with food and management because I really love it. My best friend, Brandi, is a bartender at Common House Chattanooga, and she told me, “you really should come check this place out. You would absolutely love it.” So I went for dinner. And I loved it. I applied to be a server, but the staff wanted to talk to me about kitchen work. I told them my concerns about burning out, and they understood, but they were persistent. I started as Lead line cook in 2021.

So what then prompted you to move to Charlottesville? 

So I was working in the Common House kitchen at Chatt, keeping my nose to the ground — staying focused, maintaining that leadership role and letting the chips fall where they may. Then I was told Charlottesville was looking for a Sous Chef, so I contacted Ian Hawks, Chef de Cuisine of Common House Charlottesville. Within a few weeks I was up here! 

What does a typical day look like for you? 

Lots of communication. The organizational aspect of the kitchen, working on recipes, menus, allergies and getting headcounts. Making sure everything is tip-top ready for the day, and prepping for the next day. Coaching is really important to me. If I see somebody doing something inefficiently, I’ll walk them through a faster way to accomplish the same task. I’m also always looking to learn and grow. Alvin, my grill guy, and I are always asking each other: “what did you do today to be a better person than you were yesterday?” 

What’s something about your job that excites you? 

Table 206. It’s a seated, completely comped meal for new members which allows them to come in and get to know each other — that way everyone isn't such strangers when they cross paths. For the meal, we put together a multi-course dinner menu, and we use that moment as Chefs to try new concepts, new ideas. We don't want to do anything too crazy, but this is a great opportunity for us to make that first impression on them with our food. We did a really nice Portuguese seafood stew this past week. I had a good time with that. I made a lemon parm orzo to pair up with it. 

Before we sign off, what’s one fun fact about your life that you’d like to share?

One of my favorite neighbors was Hall-of-Famer Sam Gooden. He was the founder for the Impressionist Big Band tour with James Brown. They were a big “to do” in the 50s. He was a really cool cat. He just passed away in Chattanooga in August. But, sweet man, lived a great life. I have a really big dog, but she's a big pillow, always waiting to get cuddled immediately. So every time we would walk, Sam would always be like, “That's the sweetest big dog I've ever seen.” I wouldn't say he was scared of dogs, but he definitely wasn't going to go out of his way to pet one. But my dog was one of the few. If we were walking up he’d say, “that's the sweetest thing I've ever seen.” 

P.S. Benny is a little modest about his music career—he went to one of the top music programs in the country and was a touring artist for 15 years. Here’s a hint: Brandi Carlile opened for him.