Our Story
Three founders. A combined career spent in restaurants, events, and hospitality — driven by one shared belief: that a great experience is never accidental.
Chris Figueroa
CO-FOUNDER, BEVERAGE DIRECTOR
Chris has been behind a bar since college — and hasn't really left. A Bronx native, he studied Hospitality Management at Husson University before building his career across some of New York City's most acclaimed dining rooms: The Modern, SAGA, and Crown Shy — all Michelin-starred — and Overstory, ranked #3 in North America and #15 globally among The World's 50 Best Bars.
He's since helped launch Markette and The Argyle, developing a dual-concept beverage program entirely from the ground up. But the drink has never really been the point. As he puts it: "It's never just about the cocktail. It's about what the cocktail allows people to feel."
That's the philosophy Vesper is built on.
Salted Mango Milk Punch
chris’ cocktail
Kristin Mitchell
CO-FOUNDER, CLIENT & GUEST EXPERIENCE
Kristin has spent over 15 years in high-end events and hospitality with one consistent belief: the guest experience is everything. She built her career through roles at Thomson Reuters, The Corcoran Group, and Wasserman before launching Gathered in Style in 2021 — a New York-based creative events agency for brand and lifestyle clients.
Her approach is part creative director, part strategic partner. She draws on each client's identity to shape experiences that don't just look right — they feel right. At Vesper, she brings that same standard to every engagement: intentional, considered, and designed to be remembered.
The Garden Party
kristin's cocktail
Aly Bandali
CO-FOUNDER, STRATEGY & OPERATIONS
Aly didn't set out to work in hospitality — he set out to build things. After Cornell and several years in management consulting, he joined his family's business and helped scale it from 5 to over 20 locations. The discipline of that work — site analysis, financial modeling, operational systems — turned out to be surprisingly good training for everything that came after.
He's since consulted on fine-dining renovations, served as GM of a Michelin-guide featured restaurant in New York City, and owns and operates a fast-casual concept in the city today. He'll tell you his real education started earlier though — riding shotgun with his father, parked in a lot, counting the cars going by. At the time it seemed tedious. Now he recognizes it for what it was: his first lesson in how to see what the numbers are actually telling you.
Paid by The Hour
aly's cocktail
