our team
Matteen Khalifian - Founder & Chief Consultant
Matteen Khalifian is the Founder and Chief Consultant of Captain’s Table Consulting, a Los Angeles-based restaurant and hospitality consulting firm focused on improving operations, profitability, team performance, and long-term business strategy.
With 20 years of experience spanning culinary operations, front-of-house management, and executive leadership, Matteen brings a comprehensive perspective to the restaurant industry. His work includes independent restaurants, multi-unit groups, new concepts, and acquisition projects, ranging from targeted operational improvements to restaurant turnarounds and pre-opening development.
His areas of expertise include operational restructuring, labor and food cost optimization, procurement and vendor negotiations, menu engineering, management development, hiring and training, inventory and purchasing systems, guest experience, and concept development. By evaluating the restaurant as a complete operation—from kitchen workflow and menu strategy to staffing, purchasing, service, and financial performance—Matteen is able to identify underlying problems and develop solutions that are both financially sound and practical to execute.
A defining part of his consulting philosophy is implementation. Rather than stopping at recommendations, Matteen works directly alongside owners, managers, and restaurant teams to put systems into practice, develop leadership, train staff, and measure results.
Prior to founding Captain’s Table, Matteen built his career throughout the Los Angeles restaurant industry in culinary and operational leadership roles. His background as a chef remains central to his approach, providing a practical understanding of how business decisions ultimately affect execution in both the kitchen and dining room.
Outside of hospitality, Matteen is also a certificated commercial pilot. Aviation has influenced his emphasis on preparation, systems, communication, risk management, and clear decision-making in high-pressure environments.
Through Captain’s Table Consulting, Matteen works with restaurant owners, hospitality groups, entrepreneurs, and investors to build stronger operations, improve financial performance, and position hospitality businesses for sustainable growth.
Anastashia Chavez - Baking & Pastry Consultant
Welcome to the delectable world of culinary expertise guided by Anastashia Chavez, a seasoned professional with a passion for crafting irresistible delights. As the Baking & Pastry Consultant at Captain's Table LLC, Anastashia brings over 14 years of rich culinary experience, seamlessly blending mastery in both front and back of house operations.
Anastashia's culinary journey began at the prestigious Apicius International School of Hospitality at Florence University of the Arts, where she honed her skills and developed a profound understanding of the artistry behind baking and pastry. With a solid foundation, she has gone on to lead Michelin-starred pastry programs, including that of both Hatchet Hall and Milo & Olive in Los Angeles, California, leaving a trail of sweet success in her wake.
Her expertise extends beyond the kitchen, demonstrating a keen grasp of recipe costing and efficiencies. Anastashia's meticulous approach ensures not just the creation of delightful treats but also a sustainable and economically viable culinary venture. Her banquet event coordination skills add another layer to her proficiency, making her an invaluable asset for any special occasion.
Anastashia excels in navigating the complexities of dietary restrictions and allergies, ensuring that every creation is a delight for all. Her commitment to easy-to-follow recipe standardization sets her apart, making her culinary creations accessible and enjoyable for both professionals and home bakers alike.
With a diverse background encompassing catering, fine dining, storefront bakery, and wholesale operations, Anastashia is a versatile consultant capable of elevating any culinary establishment. Her adept facilitation of special orders for events and seamless management of wholesale accounts showcase her comprehensive skill set.
In the world of gastronomy, Anastashia Chavez stands as a beacon of expertise, ready to elevate your culinary experience to new heights. Join her on a journey where passion meets precision, and every bite tells a story of culinary mastery.
Kaelyn Brandt - Bar & Beverage Consultant
Brandt doesn’t follow the rules—she rewrites them. With a decade behind the stick and on the floor, Kaelyn has carved out a reputation as a bold voice in bar consulting. Equal parts strategist, artist, and chaos alchemist, she builds beverage programs that don’t just serve drinks—they start conversations.
Kaelyn cut her teeth at Gavin Kaysen’s Spoon and Stable, the Minneapolis powerhouse where she grounded herself in discipline, detail, and elevated service. From there, she made her mark in nationally recognized venues including Jacob Sessom’s Table and Imperial Life, and later at West Coast hotspots Strongwater, Hatchet Hall, and Bavel—each sharpening her expertise in high-volume execution, creative development, and team leadership.
With a background in immersive theater and global event production, Kaelyn approaches hospitality like a stage. She's created full-sensory bar and dining experiences across the world—sometimes elegant, sometimes wild, but never boring. That same fearless energy took her to Trinidad, where she repped the U.S. West Coast in the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge, proving she can throw down with the best on an international level.
What sets Kaelyn apart is her ability to hold two opposing ideas at once: a ruthless attention to detail and a fearless sense of play. Her cocktails are as conceptually rich as they are technically sound. Her programs are grounded in operational know-how, smart costing, and sustainable systems—while still feeling fresh, theatrical, and wildly original.
Kaelyn doesn’t believe in cookie-cutter anything. She builds programs with staying power—designed to evolve, adapt, and stand up to the chaos of the real world. Whether she’s overhauling a cocktail list or reimagining the entire guest experience, Kaelyn brings clarity, edge, and a whole lot of fire.
Rodolfo Suazo - Pitmaster & Barbecue Consultant
Chef Suazo is a seasoned culinary professional with over 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry and more than a decade in culinary management and kitchen leadership as a renowned pitmaster. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Chef Rodolfo brings a unique blend of Hispanic-inspired cooking and classically trained technique to every dish he creates. A proud Le Cordon Bleu graduate, he has built his career on precision, creativity, and a deep respect for high-quality ingredients — particularly premium meats and wood-fired cooking.
His culinary journey spans prestigious steakhouses, fine dining and neighborhood restaurants, where he has developed a reputation for thoughtful menu creation and operational excellence. Having trained under a 3-Michelin-starred chef and collaborated with some of Los Angeles’s most respected chefs and restaurateurs, Rodolfo has cultivated a refined yet grounded approach that blends classical technique with the soulful, bold flavors of his heritage. His experience in both barbecue and multi-unit development can be highlighted by his time at Maple Block Meat Co., with locations in both Culver City and Downtown LA that has garnered respect as one of the top barbecue restaurants in the city.
Over his 10 years in management, Chef Rodolfo Suazo has overseen all facets of back-of-house operations — from menu development, costing, and vendor relations to financial oversight, staffing management, and the creation of effective SOPs. His leadership emphasizes consistency, teamwork, and the development of strong kitchen cultures that uphold both quality and integrity.
Recognized as a Rising Star Chef nominee, Chef Rodolfo Suazo continues to push culinary boundaries while giving back to his community. He works closely with nonprofit food events throughout Los Angeles, using his craft to support causes that celebrate food, culture, and community.
Driven by his Los Angeles roots and Hispanic culinary influences, Chef Rodolfo Suazo represents the next generation of chefs who balance creativity with discipline — crafting food that tells a story, honors tradition, and brings people together.