Who is Chandler Zavala's father Demetrio? Meet NC State star's 'Chopped' champion dad

Demetrio Zavala's son, NC State's Chandler Zavala, stands at 6'3", and 322 pounds, which wouldn't mean that much if not for his father. Demetrio has battled in the kitchen on in front of a national audience with superstar Bobby Flay. He won the title of Food Network's "Chopped" champion by defeating the show's judges.

Demetrio became a corporate executive chef for one of the biggest restaurant groups in the United States. He has opened six restaurants, most recently Solstice Seasonal Kitchen in Irvine, California, where the focus is on sustainable cooking methods.

In December 2021, the father of the NC State star had an unexpected health scare that left him near death. Demetrio spoke about what happened:

“My appendix and intestine ruptured, and my body went septic. The doctors told me, ‘We had to resuscitate you. The cause: diverticulitis."

The 46-year-old chef said he never knew he had diverticulitis, which is an inflammation or infection in one or more small pouches in the digestive tract. He collapsed at his Broward County, Florida home following a return from one of his regular trips to see his family and his numerous restaurants.

Chandler's father underwent emergency surgery and other medical procedures for other issues. He spent a month in the local hospital at the start of what would become a months-long road to recovery.

Grilled Duck Breast (l) and Banana & Nutella French toast (r) from Demetrio Zavala. Credit: @chefzavala (IG)

After recovering, he partnered with well-known restaurateur Gary Rack to redo menus and management for Rack’s restaurant group. The group owns Farmhouse Kitchen located in both Boca Raton and Delray Beach, and Racks Fish House & Oyster Bar in Delray Beach.

The award-winning chef will draw from a combination of experiences, from his fine-dining background to his mom's roots based in Cuba.

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Demetrio Zavala on the impact of food on his family

Demetrio Zavala admitted that food has always been a major part of family's life, including Chandler's.

"Food has always been a big part of our lives. There's nothing my kids won't eat, and that's because I've introduced them to a lot of different cuisines and flavors of food. They know what tastes good, and they know how to prepare it."

In fact, Chandler Zavala's kitchen refrigerator in his apartment at NC State wasn't a typical refrigerator for a college student. It was stocked with fresh produce, fruit, salmon, several whole chickens, New York strips, turkey sausage, and many cartons of eggs.

Chandler's knives were sharpened and a large wooden cutting board rested on the counter. The dishes stayed clean and were nowhere near the sink. This was one of the many lessons the Wolfpack offensive lineman learned while being around restaurants with his father.