Under the “ecopreneurial” watch of California native Kristofor Lofgren, Bamboo Sushi in Portland, Ore., has become one of the state’s most highly regarded restaurants in just five years. Lofgren was part of the original Masu East (in the same location) ownership before buying out his partners after their plans diverged. Renamed Bamboo Sushi in 2008 after Lofgren took over, it is the first certified-sustainable sushi restaurant in the country, with much of its seafood coming from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fisheries. To Lofgren, 29, sustainability claims require proof, and he feels MSC certification “is a good place to hang our hat.”
The University of California-Berkeley graduate’s passion for the environment came from his parents: His father was an environmentalist and his mother was health-conscious. Is it destiny that he’s running a sustainable seafood restaurant? No, he says the restaurant industry sort of found him. I caught up with Lofgren after several rounds of phone tag in mid-September, just a few days before he and his fiancée, Catherine, were to get married. Critical acclaim? Expansion? A new wife? Sounds like things are going well.
