Q+A: CHIPPER PASTRON:

Restaurateur: On and off the menu, never fear innovation

Chipper Pastron, founder and partner of MCC Hospitality Group, started working in the food and beverage industry as a teenager and says he knew right away it was his passion.

Chipper Pastron has never been afraid to get his hands dirty. Even his LinkedIn profile lists him as owner/dishwasher at MCC Hospitality Group. The founder of MCC, Pastron has launched a diverse array of restaurants in California and Las Vegas, but it’s not a strategy he’d necessarily advise others to pursue.

Do you have any recent updates you’d like to share?

We are excited to finally be underway with a long-awaited microbrewery in Burbank, Calif. This has been a passion project for us and we have been working on this launch for more than three years. Our estimated opening date is end of the fourth quarter.

What is the best business advice you’ve received?

Sal Casola Sr., my business partner of 30 years, told me, “Don’t be a purist.” While he meant it in regards to making decisions on new menu items for the restaurants, this advice to be willing to try new things and to push the boundaries of a concept has led to great innovations in our company, on and off the menu.

If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be?

It’s important to think about the future and the generations to come. Therefore, if I could change one thing in Southern Nevada, it would be to improve graduation rates for high school students.

What’s the biggest issue facing Southern Nevada?

I think a major concern is the drought and its effects on Lake Mead, the ecosystem and the long-term effects on water quality and supply.

What has been your most exciting professional project?

Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro within the Palazzo. In so many ways, Morels represents the best of our best in terms of culinary, service and ambience. We are proud to be on a property that has some of the most celebrated chefs in the country, three of whom also serve steak. In that environment, Morels has continued to grow and thrive solely on its reputation for a diverse menu paired with excellent service.

You’ve been working in the food and beverage industry since you were 13 years old. What made you want to turn it into a career with MCC Hospitality Group?

I am extremely fortunate that I never had to make the decision to pursue a career in the industry; as a teenager, I found a passion for the profession and simply followed it. I never thought of it as a career, just something that I loved doing. In my youth, I so enjoyed cooking in the kitchen and the industry in general — with its fast pace, ever-changing challenges and customer interaction — that I would have paid my employers just to let me work there.

You own several restaurants, including D. Vino Italian Food and Wine Bar, Dragon Noodle Co. and JuiceFarm. Why do you think it’s important to have such diverse offerings?

Diversification of restaurant concepts is not the best model for success. But the driver for us at MCC Hospitality Group has never been to follow just the best business opportunities, but rather to pursue what interests us, both from a culinary and hospitality point of view. A new venture has to start from a concept that we are passionate about, and only when we are confident that we can deliver an exceptional experience — whether it is a fine-dining steakhouse on the Strip, a super-premium and nationally branded coffeehouse concept in Hawaii, or a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Burbank — will we move forward.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading “Originals” by Adam Grant, and rereading “A Dance with Dragons” by George R.R. Martin.

What do you do after work?

I spend time with my wife and children, play tennis, go mountain biking, cook and enjoy wine with friends.

Describe your management style.

I give my team the room and flexibility to explore new ideas and I counsel and coach them to learn from their mistakes.

What is your dream job, outside of your current field?

I have thought about managing a large traveling production, like a concert or circus. I’ve always enjoyed working with a team to orchestrate events.

If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

I have always loved the Tuscan culture of cooking and living within the seasons.

Whom do you admire and why?

Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise and Richard Melman of Lettuce Entertain You, both for continually demonstrating leadership and willingness to try new things and approaches to problem solving.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Staff members not being attentive to our guests’ needs or, even worse, texting while on duty in plain view of guests.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would like to have the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep by command.

What is something that people might not know about you?

I am dyslexic and both my parents were psychiatrists.

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