Chef, Le French
Aminata Dia is an accomplished, award-winning chef and highly successful business owner with over a decade of experience in the culinary industry. She is the co-founder and co-owner of the acclaimed Denver-based restaurant, Le French, which has established a unique brand identity by masterfully blending authentic French techniques with vibrant West African flavors. Following the original restaurant’s immense success, Chef Dia demonstrated her strong entrepreneurial skill and leadership by overseeing the expansion and opening of Le French’s second location in 2023, just six years after the first. In recognition of her exceptional culinary talent and contribution to the mountain region’s dining scene, Chef Dia (alongside her sister, Rougui Dia) was named a 2024 James Beard Award Semi-Finalist for Best Chef: Mountain.
Her expertise in menu creation, financial management, and growing business operations is further proven by her decade as the founder and operator of Amicuisine Catering. Chef Aminata Dia was born in Senegal before moving to France at a young age, growing up just outside of Paris where she first found her passion for food. She moved to the United States 25 years ago, settling in Denver for the last 23 years. Once in Colorado, Aminata pursued her culinary love by earning a degree from the Art Institute of Colorado, which led to the launch of her successful catering company, AmiCuisine. Drawing on her rich French, Senegalese, and American culinary experiences, Chef Aminata fulfilled a dream by opening her first restaurant, Le French, alongside her sister, Chef Rougui Dia.