Christopher Pastena

Owner/Operator, Calavera, Chop Bar & Tribune Tavern

Christopher Pastena has worked in the restaurant industry for over 35 years. Pastena is the owner/operator of the wildly successful Calavera, Chop Bar & Tribune Tavern in Oakland, CA. All have received national acclaim for its food, cocktails, wine on tap system, and décor. Prior to opening Chop Bar, Pastena opened Coda, a Jazz supper club in San Francisco. He was also the executive chef and managing partner of the renowned Bruno’s in the Mission District of San Francisco in the early 2000’s, voted a “Top 100 Live Music Venue in the World.” Pastena has continually worked as a restaurant consultant. His unique talents give him the ability to understand front of the house, back of the house, and the financial aspects of running a restaurant. He has used these skills to help many restaurant entrepreneurs open successful restaurants; in addition to helping many others to revitalize their struggling enterprises by evaluating and fixing their operations.