Chichería Mexican Kitchen

Chef Juan Hormiga, now executive chef at Chichería Mexican Kitchen in Atlanta, discovered his culinary passion early in life. Growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, his fondest memories involve cooking alongside his mother and grandmother. “I loved the process of making big Sunday or holiday dinners from scratch,” he recalls. That early exposure led him to experiment with family recipes, setting him on an unshakable path toward the kitchen. After serving in the Colombian military, Hormiga enrolled in the prestigious Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) and later the Corporación Unificada de Educación Superior (CUN) for culinary training. “Getting into SENA was huge for me. I knew then that I wanted to cook and travel,” he says. Hormiga did just that—first in Bogotá restaurants, then in Madrid, Ibiza, and London, where he trained for Wok to Walk, a fast-casual Asian concept. Along the way, he absorbed diverse culinary traditions, including Peruvian, Mediterranean, and Asian cuisines, shaping a versatile and global cooking style. His career brought him to the U.S. to open Buena Vida in Atlanta, a tapas bar that quickly found success. From there, he moved to Oakland to work at Parche, a contemporary Colombian restaurant that earned a spot in the 2024 MICHELIN Guide. Now back in Atlanta, Hormiga is diving into the nuances of traditional Mexican cuisine at Chichería. “We make everything from scratch, including our blue corn tortillas,” he says. “I’ve admired this cuisine for a long time, and it’s exciting to work with it in a truly authentic way.” For Hormiga, this latest chapter is the perfect fusion of passion and growth. “I’m doing something I’ve always wanted to do while bringing everything I’ve learned so far. It’s the best of both worlds.”