After earning her A.A.S. degree in Culinary Arts at SPSCC, Miriam Padilla initiated a whirlwind of activities that supported her desire to teach culinary arts and become a chef. She taught kids at Bayview School of Cooking, led programs at the Hands-on Children's Museum, and worked in the prestigious role of Sous Chef at The Reef in downtown Olympia.
Taking the Helm at Olympia's First Cuban Restaurant
Now, Chef Miriam has landed her most exciting role yet: Executive Chef at Mi Luna Cuban Café, Olympia’s first and only Cuban restaurant, which opened in March 2025. The family-owned spot is already becoming a local favorite with its authentic Cuban dishes based on original family recipes.
Chef Miriam shared, “I was very humbled and honored to be invited to this role by Rich and Kirstin Root, owners of Mi Luna Cuban Cafe. As the Executive Chef, I'm responsible for overseeing all culinary operations from menu development to budgeting, training, team building, and everything related to maintaining the café’s high quality and consistency. I appreciate the trust they have placed in me to not only recreate authentic, traditional recipes handed down by their family but also develop new creative menu options.”
Creating the menu meant diving deep into Cuban culture. “I'm not Cuban, so I needed to take a deep dive into learning about the culture, traditions, and origins of the food. We visited every local Cuban café we could find in Seattle and Portland and travelled to Miami to taste authentic Cuban American cuisine. Learning about the lineage and influences over generations helped me understand how important it is to respect the cultural roots of the cuisine.”
The local response has been incredible. “The Olympia community has been so welcoming, and the feedback has been extremely positive. Some of the biggest compliments have come from guests who are originally from Miami and have told us, sometimes with tears in their eyes, how dishes like our Ropa Vieja bowl or Classic Cuban sandwich and Cuban black beans made them feel as if they were home. Community is what connects me to my ‘why’ reason for being here. So, this feedback means a lot to me.”
Food Brings People Together
From Day One, Olympia embraced Mi Luna Cuban Café. Tables stay full, and customers have become ambassadors, spreading the word throughout town. Rich and Kirsten, who grew up in a Cuban American family here in Olympia, wanted to create a space that honored their heritage while giving everyone a sense of belonging.
Chef Miriam stays connected to her SPSCC roots, maintaining close relationships with Chef JP Downey-McCarthy, Chef Emily Wallace, Chef Melanie Shelton and others from the program. “They have been supportive mentors and a much-valued sounding board for some of my ideas.”
She also continues teaching as Kids Culinary Arts Program Director at Bayview School of Cooking. “This work connects me to home, and I enjoy working with different age groups. Teaching kids who will be the next generation of cooks is very fulfilling.”
From Student Success to Community Success
When assembling her kitchen crew, Chef Miriam knew she needed reliable, capable, and well-trained people. “Running a kitchen takes a lot of discipline, passion, and stamina. It has been a rewarding experience to have the opportunity to hire talented people like Ivan Flores, who graduated from SPSCC’s Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts program, as well as our intern Lynette Fejeran. They’ve come to us with the skills and mindset necessary to jump in quickly and effectively support the team.”
Her team philosophy is simple: shared values like growth mindset, joyful hospitality, and love of learning. “I am fortunate to work in a creative environment that emphasizes trust, collaboration, and mutual respect. As a team we recognize that everyone’s role is important. When the team wins, I win. When I win, the team wins. I believe it is 100% possible to have a team culture that encourages a feeling of community.”
“Looking ahead, I’m excited to develop fusion dishes that will incorporate different Latin American-inspired flavors and Caribbean cultural influences, bringing flavors together which also represent the cultures and heritages of our team.”
As a former SPSCC graduate, Chef Miriam reflected on ways scholarships helped preserve the creative space needed to pursue and achieve success in the Culinary Arts field. “Being an SPSCC Foundation scholarship recipient gave me the opportunity to be creative. It gave me a sense of relief when I could put my energy into my craft as opposed to just surviving and struggling to pay student loans.”
Her future plans? Keep elevating the food at Mi Luna, mentor her team members, and work with SPSCC students and interns to help them reach their goals.
Support Future Role Models
We appreciate SPSCC graduates like Chef Miriam who continue to achieve recognition in their fields and make a difference in the community. Their success continues to inspire future cohorts of SPSCC students as they pursue their own aspirations.
You can help students at SPSCC move forward on their journey to success. Contact the SPSCC Foundation at Foundation@spscc.edu or call 360-596-5430 to learn how you can get involved.