Christopher “Chris” Ayala

Executive Chef

Home is where the heart is, and to Chef Christopher “Chris” Ayala, home has always been in the kitchen. With both parents working in the restaurant industry, Ayala never thought of restaurants as “adult spaces,” but instead his favorite stop after school, where he first experienced hospitality in the form of after-school snacks. To the Ayala family, hospitality is more than an occupation; it’s a way of life, using food to make people feel seen, cared for, and welcomed. 

 Ayala’s years spent curiously watching and learning from his mom, a restaurant manager, and his dad, a chef, would ultimately inspire his own journey working in restaurants. His first stop was culinary school, intentionally following in his older sister’s footsteps. Ayala’s career has since taken him to Williamsburg, VA, where he served as Executive Chef of La Tienda, then to Nashville, TN, where he was the Food & Beverage Director and Executive Chef at Ellington’s Restaurant & Lounge at the Fairlane Hotel. Most recently, Ayala served as the Executive Chef at Rosettes at Hotel Genevieve in Louisville, KY before joining the Indigo Road Hospitality Group to open Indaco in Nashville’s historic Germantown neighborhood. 

 Today, Ayala leads all culinary operations for Indaco Nashville, ranging from menu execution to team management, with his heart set on cultivating an excellent guest experience every day while serving ingredient-driven Italian food. When he’s off the clock, Ayala enjoys reading, golfing, and most importantly, spending quality time with his son.