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When you think about food at a museum, you probably don’t picture scratch-made, regionally sourced, chef-driven menus. Athan Pixler is here to change that. As the Executive Chef at MoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture) in Seattle, Athan is proving that museum dining can be as immersive as the exhibits themselves.

With a career spanning fine dining, farm work, cruise ships, hotels, and cultural attractions, Athan has built a food philosophy rooted in sustainability, seasonality, and storytelling. We sat down with him to talk about his journey, why partnerships matter, and how he’s elevating museum dining—one regionally sourced dish at a time.

What led you to a career in food?

Honestly? I kind of fell into it. I grew up in a blue-collar household where a balanced diet wasn’t a priority, and I didn’t really think about food beyond just eating it. I enrolled in culinary school without a real plan—just knowing I liked food. That’s where I learned the fundamentals of cooking, but I still didn’t fully understand where food came from—and that’s what changed everything for me.

After school, I spent time working on a small farm in Southern California, and that experience completely reshaped how I saw food. Growing carrots, onions, and potatoes, getting my hands in the dirt, and seeing the work that goes into producing ingredients gave me a new appreciation for sourcing and seasonality. From there, I worked in fine dining, corporate kitchens, hotels, and even cruise ships, but that connection to the land, the farmers, and the product has never left me.

You’ve worked in so many different parts of the industry—fine dining, hotels, breweries, even a zoo. What brought you to MoPOP?

I loved fine dining, but I started realizing I wanted to work somewhere with more meaning. I was at True Food Kitchen in Denver, which was great because it focused on health-driven, sustainable food, but after my son was born in 2020—during COVID and a long NICU stay—I started looking for a role that aligned more with my values. That’s when SSA and the Denver Zoo came into the picture.

The zoo was a game-changer. It gave me the chance to take sustainability and sourcing seriously, but also to make an impact on a larger scale. When the opportunity at MoPOP came up, it was an easy choice. MoPOP isn’t just a museum—it’s an experience, and I knew I could build a culinary program that felt just as bold and exciting as the exhibits.

How do you approach food at MoPOP?

I think about who we’re serving first. MoPOP isn’t a fine-dining restaurant—it’s a museum built around music, film, and pop culture. Our guests range from hardcore gamers and music fans to families with kids. That means the food has to be approachable, fun, and unexpected.

We still prioritize quality ingredients and scratch cooking, but we present them in a way that makes sense for our space. Take something as simple as grilled cheese—it’s comfort food, it’s nostalgic, but at MoPOP, it’s made with Puget Sound Dungeness crab and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese from Pike Place Market. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel—we’re just making sure it rolls a little smoother (and tastes better).

You’re passionate about regional sourcing. How do partnerships play into your menu?

I don’t just look for vendors—I look for partners who align with our values. Right now, we source from 28 regional producers, from small-scale farmers to artisanal makers.

For example, I work with San Juan Island Sea Salt—they started as a small operation, and now we use their salts in everything from fries to retail products. I also partner with a local butter maker, Adrian, who launched his business, A Butter Place during COVID. We’re collaborating on a butter flight concept with a bakery here in Seattle, offering sweet, savory, and classic salted butters, all made with Washington dairy.

These partnerships aren’t just about better ingredients—they create a sense of place for guests. When you eat here, you’re literally tasting the Pacific Northwest.

Sustainability is a huge focus for you. How do you balance that with running a profitable kitchen?

People assume sustainability is expensive, but if you do it strategically, it actually makes better business sense.

A great example is my partnership with Firefly Kitchens, a Seattle-based fermenter. I buy their kimchi and krauts in bulk for menu items, but I also stock their retail products in the café. I might break even on the retail sales, but the bulk purchases allow me to profit on our menu items while also supporting a local business. It’s a win-win.

The key is knowing where to invest and how to tell the story. Guests are willing to pay a little more for something that feels authentic, local to the region, and meaningful.

What’s next for MoPOP’s culinary program?

We’re in the middle of a big transformation. Our café is reopening in March, and this June, we’re launching a full-service lounge with cocktails, desserts, and James Beard-level food. The idea is to create an elevated yet accessible dining experience—something that feels special but still fits within the world of MoPOP.

A big focus for me is redefining what museum dining can be. People don’t expect to find house-made mushroom jerky, hyper-local seafood, or foraged ingredients in a museum, but why shouldn’t they? I want guests to leave MoPOP talking about the food as much as the exhibits.

What advice would you give to chefs who want to focus on sustainability and regional sourcing?

1. Understand your business. Sustainability isn’t just about buying expensive local ingredients—it’s about knowing where to spend, where to save, and how to make it profitable.
2. Tell the story. Guests don’t just want great food—they want to connect with it. If you can explain why you’re using a certain farm or a small-batch producer, it adds value to the experience.
3. Build real relationships. Go to farmers markets. Talk to producers. Some of my best partnerships started with a casual conversation.

A new kind of museum dining

Athan Pixler isn’t just running a museum restaurant—he’s changing the conversation about what cultural attraction dining can be. With a focus on regional sourcing, sustainability, and storytelling in every dish, he’s crafting a food experience that feels as immersive as MoPOP itself.

Next time you visit, don’t just check out the exhibits—come hungry. You might leave with a new favorite dish (and a newfound appreciation for Pacific Northwest ingredients).