Professional Chef and Entrepreneur Anthony Santos’ Tampa Restaurant Takeovers: A Success Story

After meeting and getting to know Chef Anthony Santos, known to his friends as Chef Anthony, or often simply “Chef,” it’s difficult not to be inspired by his determination, talent, and generosity. After his third Restaurant Takeover in Tampa sold out to accolades from delighted customers, Santos’ story of success, giving, and triumphant perseverance is ready to be told.

Already entrepreneurial at 12 years old, he created Anthony’s Lawn and Car Care – a combination landscaping and car wash childhood venture. At just 14 years old, a month before his 15th birthday, he was forced to leave an abusive household. He landed his first job at a supermarket. A month or so later, Santos found work at a Chinese restaurant, continued there for some time, and subsequently worked 2-3 jobs simultaneously for the next several years to provide for his family.

At 19 years old, he landed his first lucky break. Already experienced in the restaurant business, he worked at a local Italian restaurant where the general manager decided to leave his job on one Valentine’s Day and never return. Santos was promoted to manager instantly, and after becoming successful in that role, he opened a sports bar next door. Santos found the hustle and was working hard to achieve his goals.

That’s when Santos got another big break. A recruiter from a large restaurant chain came to dine at the sports bar and noted his work ethic, dedication, and talent. He said, “We could use someone with your abilities, come work on the corporate side, and work with us”. He was then offered a job as an assistant manager at 20 and later promoted to general manager at 21. Seemingly overnight, he became a successful regional manager rising swiftly to a respectable full-time position. This was indeed indicative of great things to come.

Things were not always easy, and there were many challenges. For example, when he became a regional manager, he oversaw and managed each restaurant’s profitability and had to watch their numbers daily. In addition, through his many roles over the years, he realized how critical good help is and hard it is to come by. Despite his natural and learned capabilities in marketing, finding new opportunities was often challenging. But Santos knows how to overcome and persevere through obstacles and use them to improve and move forward, which was the case when the pandemic struck.

In 2020, after the onset of COVID-19, almost all the restaurants in Tampa closed. Santos thought about it. From years of experience, he saw how much the owners were making and how poorly he and his colleagues were often treated. He witnessed the unmet demand for restaurant-style dining due to the pandemic shutdown and recognized the opportunity for a creative solution from surviving through and overcoming many setbacks.

Santosdecided to open a private chef business to serve everyone trapped in their homes. He thought about his competitive advantage; he would provide higher quality, better-tasting food, faster than any other chef. After years of witnessing mistreatment, he would show kindness, care, and humble service to his clients, coworkers, and anyone he could help. This intention turned out to be the perfect recipe for success. His hard work — combined with a natural talent for marketing, a deep emotional intelligence, and an acute understanding of people – led to the rapid growth and recognition of his private chef business.

To expose the public to his unique dining experiences,Santos decided to guest-chef at local restaurants. In fact, he recently completed his third restaurant takeover in Tampa, which no other chef has done locally and within such a short time period. His first restaurant takeover was XO Chitl, where he provided two dinners; his second was Acropolis, where he offered eight dinners; and most recently, his third was Haiku for one night only. All three undertakings were completely sold out. These critically acclaimed events have helped bring even more attention to his talent, abilities, and culinary expertise.

Santos’ other accolades are numerous. He’s won a cooking competition, where he cooked three courses in 10.5 minutes out of 30. He’s also had television spots on VPN studios and WFLA News Channel 8. More recently, he appeared on the TV show Love After Lockup, where he provided a private four-course dinner on a beachfront in the Tampa Bay area. Attendees were invited through Instagram only and came to them because he brought uncommon ingredients and cuisine locally to Tampa. By providing distinctive and consistently exceptional experiences, his fame continues to grow as he gets more and more exposure to the public and they discover his unique style.

Santos never stops giving back despite his successes and attends to many philanthropic causes. His endeavors in serving the public and community are numerous. Examples include raising $500 for the music department of a local high school through VPN Productions and, separately, preparing and giving out 5000 meals to the victims of Hurricane Ian in Fort Meyers, FL. Due to these and other efforts, he is known throughout the community for his constant generosity and unmatched talent.

Concerning his private chef business, Santos provides fine dining with your friends only, with no distractions, and with your menu just as you like. Want a candlelit dinner right on the beach? Santos will see to it; wherever you like, with your music, the desired ambiance – everything. Given that almost everyone is now used to and expects tailored experiences, his ability to deliver precisely what clients want is unmatched in South Florida.

What is Santos’ next destination? He would love to win a national cooking competition, open multiple restaurants in multiple cities, and use advanced technology to provide a dining experience innovatively. In addition, he wishes for financial independence, so he can “feed the world” hands-on, if need be, through philanthropy or any other means. We can all hope he fulfills his dream; if anyone can do it, Chef Anthony Santos can!

Excited to followChef Anthony Santos’ continued journey? Follow him on Instagram, @ChefAnthonySantos.

McClatchy newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.