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Chef Dan Benigno, owner of Chef Around the Block, likes a challenge. The Bellevue native has had a long career working various roles in kitchens. From his first job as a dishwasher at Sizzler, it became apparent that his true role in the kitchen was leading—he soon became the kitchen manager.
“In every job, I ended up in management quickly,” Benigno said. “I’ve been told my skill is managing people and pulling the best potential out of them.” He spent 10 years running restaurants before he went to culinary school at the Culinary Art Institute of Colorado in Denver. He was teaching as much as he was learning.
Before starting Chef Around the Block, Benigno worked for a corporate dining company, Guckenheimer, for 14 years, where he managed cafes in large corporations like Union Pacific, TD Ameritrade, and the Google data center. At U.P., he learned about making cultural dishes from the diverse group of employees who worked there. They would ask for certain dishes and give him tips on how to improve them.
Then he was promoted to national executive chef for training and development. He traveled and opened cafes, teaching the staff along the way.
“The summer of 2020, everything got shut down. I saw the writing on the wall. I interviewed at some restaurants, and it was a step back for me,” Benigno recalled. “I figured I could work for a jackass and be told what to do, or I could be my own jackass.” His solution to fill the need during the COVID-19 pandemic was with personal chef services, meal prepping, and some small classes.
He saw a need to fill the void of restaurants during this time, so he did meal prep for a few months. He also worked as a personal chef at small, private parties to give clients a restaurant experience in their homes. He began to do online and in-person cooking classes. Now, he has transitioned his full focus to catering and classes.
Benigno puts together custom private classes, usually made up of couples, or small groups of family or friends. The students pick a country, and Benigno builds a menu around that choice. His classes have become popular with teenagers, too.
One of the things that makes Benigno different is his strong communication skills and willingness to customize dishes for his clients. “I’m not the best chef, but the ability to execute quality food in a timely manner is important to me,” Benigno said.
The name “Chef Around the Block” came from Benigno being the neighborhood chef and supporting the local community. He’s worked with Completely Kids for a few years with their Homework and Dinner program, in which kids and parents eat for free as tutors from UNO help the students work on homework. He’s happy to be able to support this program.
For the .. past few years, Benigno has been a part of the Kitchen Council located in the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center. He enjoys coming up with themes for pop-ups, like his recent “Bob’s Burgers” pop-up, during which he and his family dressed up as characters from the hit TV show.
Benigno says that he wouldn’t be where he is without the Kitchen Council. “They give so much support. I enjoy being able to help other chefs as a colleague. It’s a great community to help each other,” he added.
Holly Benson, managing director of the Kitchen Council, says that Benigno brings a wealth of industry experience to the kitchen. “While he’s a relatively new food business owner, he has over 20 years of experience in the field, giving him a distinct edge,” she said. “Dan knows food. He knows his craft. More importantly, he knows how to teach, proving himself to be a mentor for those just starting out with little experience in a commercial space.”
She continued, “Chef Dan stands out because of his strong self-awareness and confidence. He knows his areas of expertise in the industry, yet he’s never afraid to ask for help or seek introductions when needed. He’s taking a leadership role in the kitchen and working to challenge and change some long-standing industry norms. He understands that being direct, yet kind and professional, goes a long way. You can’t yell at your staff and expect to earn their respect in return. Chef Dan is incredibly organized and brings a sense of calm to a kitchen.”
Benigno describes his culinary style as “simple food done well.” He adds that he uses quality ingredients, quality techniques, and he doesn’t overcomplicate things. “I’m not a ‘boujee’ chef,” Benigno laughed. “Food speaks to the heart. You are only as good as your last event.
“I love what I do. My friends and family benefit from it. The community benefits from it—that keeps me going. I want to feed as many people as I can,” Benigno said.
For more information, visit chef-around-the-block.myshopify.com
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
