Former Market Watch Leaders Retailer of the Year Christian Navarro is leaving upscale retailer and restaurant Wally’s after a decades-long run to design high-end culinary experiences with the Oak View Group (OVG), a global sports and entertainment company.

Navarro joined Wally’s in the early 1990s and eventually became president and principal, expanding the store from a neighborhood wine shop in Los Angeles into a three-unit retail and on-premise concept with $60 million in revenue across its locations in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Las Vegas. With the Oak View Group, Navarro now plans to up the ante on hospitality at top arenas and festivals around the world with a focus on curated menus featuring gourmet cuisine and fine wines and spirits. “I couldn’t feel more bullish about what we are going to do together,” said Navarro, adding that he plans to “create a dining experience that will leave a lasting impression on fans and redefine what it means to dine at a live event.”

With offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, Philadelphia, and Toronto, the Oak View Group 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 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.

“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,” said OVG chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke and president, business development, Francesca Bodie in a joint statement. “We look forward to working with Christian and his team 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.”

Navarro’s departure from Wally’s comes after helping the West Coast retailer attain new heights over the past three decades. With founder and fellow Market Watch Leader Steve Wallace, he cultivated an all-star Hollywood client roster at Wally’s, becoming known as a wine purveyor to the stars. When Wallace retired in 2013, Navarro brought in Paul and Maurice Marciano, the brothers who founded denim company Guess Inc., as partners.

With their help, Navarro revitalized Wally’s for modern consumers, taking the concept from purely retail spaces to full hybrid on- and off-premise outlets with sit-down restaurants, take-out counters, and market and gourmet specialty retail areas. Now he’ll turn his attention to a new challenge with OVG, aiming to take in-venue entertainment dining to a whole new level.—Daniel Marsteller