Venice Duck Brewery
it’s all about the hops.
Christian Warren:
Warren is a veteran restaurateur with a passion for good food. With more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Warren has a particular eye for fixing up restaurants and turning them into successful, high-volume establishments. Warren began his bar career working for Randy Gerber at the Whiskey Bar in 1993. From there he worked at the Baja Cantina for more than six years where he established many relationships in the L.A. Westside industry. In 2002, Warren became the bar manager at Shane restaurant (a high volume bar in Santa Monica). Ready for a place of his own, he opened Ma’kai Lounge in 2004. Warren was one of four owners of Ma’kai Lounge, a Polynesian tapas lounge in the exciting ocean-front area of Santa Monica. Located on Ocean Blvd. in the heart of Santa Monica, Ma’kai Lounge attracted thousands of tourists, locals and fun-loving customers a week. There, Warren managed the kitchen, administered food ordering, created the menu, and oversaw general operations. After two successful years Warren sold Ma’kai to the investors for a substantial profit. In March 2008 Warren purchased Melody Bar and Grill in Westchester, Calif. Warren bought Melody as a seedy rundown dive bar and has turned it around to a thriving neighborhood restaurant. Warren is now in his fifth year of ownership he has tripled profits as Melody continues to grow under his guidance and managerial skills.
One of Warren’s greatest assets is his eye for ambiance, palate for food and drink as well as his understanding of the market. Throughout Warren’s career he developed an understanding for the importance of structure, organization and delivery of high-quality customer service.
John Binder:
Binder has been in the bar business for 19 years. He started bartending at LA’s popular Hamburger Hamlet in 1993. From there he was hired by famed restaurateur Brian Vidor to work the bar at Casablanca-esque Typhoon. At Typhoon he honed his ability to make specialty cocktails and essentially learned the ins-and-outs of the entire restaurant operation. After working there for three years, he was hired at the newly opened James’ Beach in Venice Beach as a bartender. Within two years Binder became bar manager responsible for new hires, scheduling, inventory and ordering. Binder has been a solid manager for this company over the past 16 years responsible for millions of dollars in sales. Binder is one of the most recognizable bartenders on the Westside. Over the years the James Beach has become a world renowned phenomenon featured in the movie, “I Love You Man,” and the popular hit TV series, ”Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
