An Island Gal at Heart

Cristina Báez is a hospitality leader, mentor, connector, and operator whose career has been built one step at a time through hard work, curiosity, and a deep love of bringing people together. Over nearly two decades, she has held roles ranging from Executive Chef and General Manager to Director of Operations, hospitality consultant, event producer, and food & beverage leader. As a founding partner of Ataula and 180 Xurros in Portland, Oregon, she helped create beloved gathering places recognized locally and nationally for their hospitality and culinary excellence.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cristina grew up surrounded by food, family, and community. Some of her earliest memories are of helping tend fires at family cookouts, fishing for lobster with her uncle, and spending time at her grandparents' restaurant in New York City. Her mother, Milagros, taught her that food is more than nourishment; it is a way to welcome, connect, and care for others. Those experiences instilled a lifelong passion for hospitality and the magic that happens around the table.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Cristina's journey has taken her from professional kitchens in Puerto Rico and New York to Barcelona, where she spent time learning at Can Fabes under renowned three-Michelin-starred chef Santi Santamaria. Her experiences in Europe helped shape her appreciation for local sourcing, exceptional ingredients, and thoughtful simplicity.

While her roots are in the culinary world, Cristina ultimately found her greatest passion in hospitality operations, leadership, and community building. Over the years she has led multi-unit operations, managed teams of more than 100 employees, developed systems and processes, produced large-scale events, and guided organizations through growth and change. Known for her ability to connect people, solve problems, and bring ideas to life, she thrives at the intersection of hospitality, operations, and relationship building.

Cristina has been recognized as a Portland Business Journal Forty Under 40 honoree and Woman of Influence. Her work and businesses have been featured by Forbes, Bon Appétit, Eater, GQ, USA Today, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel, and Portland Monthly, among others. She has served as a culinary instructor, speaker, writer, contributor, mentor, and founding member of the Portland Chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier.

Today, Cristina serves as Assistant Director of Food & Beverage with FLIK Hospitality Group in New York while continuing to mentor hospitality professionals and support small businesses. Whether leading teams, producing events, consulting, or sharing stories, her mission remains the same: to create meaningful experiences, build authentic connections, and leave every table, and every community; better than she found it and with extra chairs for more to come.