Whether or not tending bar at Ruby Tuesday (a school gig) or on the globally awarded cocktail bar Overstory, Chris Figueroa is simply occupied with the visitor expertise. “It’s not likely in regards to the drink,” says Figueroa. “It’s a vessel so that you can create a terrific expertise.” A Bronx native, Figueroa went to college in Maine, initially learning enterprise, then hospitality.
Every step in his journey, from the chain to Michelin-starred eating places, satisfied him he was on the appropriate path. “I labored at a financial institution, and I hated it,” he says. “As quickly as I walked in to Overstory, I cherished it. I may really feel the eagerness—I may really feel that that is every thing I need.”
After 5 years with the celebrated New York Metropolis restaurant group, Figueroa joined a colleague, chef India Doris, at her new venture, seasonal restaurant Markette. He created a dual-concept program: Upstairs, the contemporary, culinarily pushed drinks complement the seasonal fare (the Fortunate Plum highball options gin, umeboshi, fig leaf, and coriander), whereas in basement bar The Argyle, the playful cocktails take centerstage, like a PB&J Sazerac with a peanut butter- and sesame-infused pumpkinseed oil fats wash and contemporary Harmony grape juice.
“It was the ultimate piece of what I really feel like I wanted in my profession—to begin one thing from scratch and construct a menu,” says Figueroa. “I’ve taken every thing I’ve discovered from my previous experiences and put it on the canvas.”
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