Los Angeles native John Terzian has become one of the leading entrepreneurs in the city who is developing restaurants, bars, clubs that are taking the world by storm. As Founder of the H.Wood Group, John Terzian, along with Brian Toll have successfully launched nightlife and restaurant venues such as Bootsy Bellows, Bootsy Bellows Aspen, Hooray Henry’s, SHOREbar, The Nice Guy, and many more to come.
H.Wood started when Terzian and a group of friends decide to take a building located in Hollywood which needed some TLC and turned it into a cool hangout for them to enjoy. This basis of creating chic hangouts where they can have fun and create a brand around it has become the signature of the H.Wood Group. The fast growing Bootsy Bellows brand, which is co-owned by David Arquette is a unique entertainment venue that offers puppets, dancers, music and more for guests to enjoy into the night. Bootsy Bellows Aspen has proven that the Bootsy Bellows brand is being embraced by people everywhere, which is why H.wood has future plans to expand Bootsy Bellows all over the world.
How did you get into the nightlife industry? I grew up in LA and was helping manage DJ AM when he launched the club LAX. I started 28th Street Entertainment which still operates today.
What’s the biggest challenge you face as a restaurateur/entrepreneur? We really have to make sure we don’t stagnate. We have to make sure you have the right events, the right performers, the right designs, and coolest entertainment, whether it’s the hottest VMA’s after party or some other ultra exclusive event. Marketing is a huge part of what we do at H.Wood.
What else does H.Wood do? We also produce custom events for clients, as well as pop up parties. We recently did events at Toronto Independent Film Festival (Tiff) and NYFW.
What’s the best part about what you do? I’m an entrepreneur at heart as well as a creative designer, so taking an empty space and turning it into a cool and inviting venue is one of the best things I get to do in this business. Seeing a place go from imagination to reality filled with people is just awesome.
What’s the worst part about what you do? There’s a lot of competition in this business. The hardest part is to always stay ahead of the curve. It’s a fast town so it’s not easy. On the bright side though, it keeps us constantly growing as a company.
What projects are you currently working one? We are opening a new venue on Sunset and Doheny called Blind Dragon. It’s an anti-club type lounge with live music. It’s a different type of entertainment that the market has a demand for. It’s gonna be great. We are also expanding Bootsy Bellows into Toronto and overseas.
Do you have a motto you live by? “Do More”—There’s always something you can be doing better or more efficiently, and not just in business but in life. I think if you really want something you’ll find the time to dedicate to it. I’m extremely involved in charities, like the Children’s Hospital and Imagine LA. I believe in having that balance of all aspects of your life. It’s important.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs? You’ve got to be tenacious and persevere. It’s going to have its highs and lows. If you don’t have the mindset to maintain through the process of success, then don’t be an entrepreneur.
Have you discovered a purpose in what you do? I come from a long family line of attorneys, but I chose to do something different with my life. There’s the notion that “Nice guys, finish last,” but I don’t believe that to be true. I strive to always be a good person and to prove that nice guys can finish on top and be successful too.
There you have it, a true business leader and successful entrepreneur at such a young age with many more years of success and creative visions brought to life thorough the work of John Terzian and his partners at the Los Angeles based H.Wood Group. Visit www.Hwood.com to learn more.
