Ultra-Premium Spirits, Gourmet Cuisine, and Premier Experiential Offerings to Meet Highest International Standards for Hospitality Excellence
LOS ANGELES (April 25, 2023) – Christian Navarro, one of the world’s most influential leaders in the premium wine & spirits industry, and Oak View Group (OVG), the global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries, are partnering to curate a luxurious, ultra-premium culinary experience for guests within its world-class sports and entertainment venues as well as key strategic markets. Together, Navarro and OVG will combine their expertise to reimagine the premium hospitality and spirits landscape and set a new elevated standard at the pinnacle of VIP hospitality for live events including arenas, stadiums, and festivals around the globe.
“I am proud and excited for this new adventure and to bring my passion for food and hospitality to sports and entertainment venues around the world. I couldn’t feel more bullish about what we are going to do together,” said Navarro. “We are going to bring happiness, satisfaction, and jaw-dropping deliciousness to people everywhere and create a dining experience that will leave a lasting impression on fans and redefine what it means to dine at a live event.”
The expertly curated menu will offer unmatched gourmet cuisine of the highest quality featuring opulent delicacies and an award-winning collection of hand-selected premium fine wines. With quality and excellence, this elevated premium offering will provide a unique in-venue experience for wine and premium spirits connoisseurs and those with discerning palates to taste, savor, and explore.
Tim Leiweke, chairman and CEO, and Francesca Bodie, president business development, OVG jointly added, “We are daring to dream of things that have never been done in this space. We will finally be able to offer our customers and fans the best in premium hospitality at all our venues worldwide. With Christian’s leadership we will have everything from three-star Michelin-quality food, to top-shelf premium spirits, to exclusive events and curated experiences for our customers delivering the highest quality possible. We look forward to working with Christian and our own team at OVG Hospitality, already the fastest growing hospitality company in the industry, to bring a fresh perspective to the world of dining in sports and entertainment venues that will elevate the premium guest experience and set a new standard in the industry.”
In 1991, Navarro took Wally’s from a corner liquor store with founder Steve Wallace and transformed it into one of the finest wine merchants and food merchants in America. In 2013, he designed and invented a new style interactive, lifestyle, hybrid wine, spirits, and restaurant operation with three locations: Wally’s Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Las Vegas. With the great support and mentorship of his longtime friend Maurice Marciano, they changed how people thought and felt about food and beverage worldwide.
About Christian Navarro
Christian Navarro is one of the most influential wine industry leaders on the planet. Christian was President & Principal of Wally’s, the luxury retail/restaurant operation revered by wine & food aficionados around the globe. He began with Wally’s in the early 90s when it was an L.A.-based, neighborhood wine shop. As a partner, Christian has transformed the brand into a world-class, hybrid concept that includes a fine wine retail store and specialty cheese shop encompassed by an elegant, relaxed restaurant setting. Named “The Wine Therapist to the Stars” by The New York Times, Christian’s clients include the most powerful players in the financial, political, art, media, and entertainment world. In addition to running his wine and food dynasty, Christian is a regular contributor and featured in over 75 significant publications, podcasts and tv segments, and films including Robb Report, Wine Spectator, Vanity Fair, Forbes, Food & Wine, Bob Pittman’s Math and Magic, and has made appearances in popular films such as Sour Grapes, Christian has also been named one of the top 100 wine personalities in the World by American Express. In addition, Christian has interviewed numerous celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Mary J Blige, Ian Somerhalder, Wolfgang Puck, Steven Soderberg, Kyle Maclachlan, and more. Christian’s unrivaled savvy and success in the wine and food industry has also enabled him to develop key partnerships with powerful corporations including Christie’s, Delta Airlines, el Cristiano Tequila, and The Four Seasons. Christian is extremely passionate about giving back to the community and, specifically, works hard to mentor youth and help them fulfill their dreams. He serves on the board of Food on Foot, a nonprofit dedicated to providing the homeless with meals, improving their lives, through education, finding them permanent housing, and ending the hunger crisis that plagues our country. He is also deeply involved in bettering public education with the Santa Monica Malibu Education Foundation. For more information on Christian Navarro follow @christianeduardonavarro on Instagram and Facebook.
About Oak View Group (OVG)
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries and currently has eight divisions across five global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, Philadelphia, and Toronto). OVG oversees the operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center; UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY; Moody Center in Austin, TX; Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, CA; and the newly opened CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; as well as arena development projects for Co-op Live in Manchester, UK; Anhembi Arena in São Paulo, Brazil; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a New Arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; and a New Arena in Cardiff, Wales. More information at OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
