Minus the secret passageway, The Nice Guy is exactly what you would expect from a mafia-inspired restaurant in West Hollywood. Los Angeles-based Built Inc. teamed up with nightlife entrepreneur John Terzian of the H.Wood Group to bring this invite-only restaurant to the area, one that was built with a “friends of ours” mentality in mind.
“In a city like Los Angeles where celebrities have a difficult time appearing in public, The Nice Guy has provided a safe haven,” said Sormeh Azad, creative director for Built Inc. “We embraced their mission by providing a safe space for their friends to escape and enjoy the night. No photos are allowed in the space, and the reservations only allow the operators to keep the establishment exclusive.”
The exclusivity of the space starts even before you enter, with the seamless facade of hand-milled cedar absorbing the door—adding a sense of mystery and inclusion for guests. Once inside, the intimacy of this mafia club comes through with the handmade craftsman principals that are the foundation of every Built Inc. project.
“It was important to create a space conducive to comradery while providing warmth and residential comfort,” Azad said. “Keeping in mind that the essence of the space was to exude this level of warmth and comfort, it was extremely important to infuse personal touches and craft.”
Guests are greeted by a large bar designed in Calcutta black marble, hammered brass, and chevron-stripe paneled mirrors, and the bar leads to a reservation-only lounge, main dining room, and patio area. On the outer perimeter, large booths are donned with mod yellow and white floral patterns, which were discovered in a fabric warehouse that dates back to the 1940s.
The center of the space also uses vintage tables, chairs, and sofas, while behind the scenes, a special chef’s table is tucked away in the kitchen, emulating a secret surveillance headquarter.
“We also milled 12,000 linear feet of cedar strips and installed it from one end of the room to the other—creating a handmade feel,” said John Sofio, president and founder of Built Inc. “It gave the intimate space a sense of craftsmanship and tradition.”
“The project, while unique in appearance, captured the very essence that John and I strive to implement,” said Sormeh, who also completed branding and logo work for The Nice Guy. “Providing a warm space is an easy statement to make, however, its execution is quite intensive. From design through construction, we had our hands on the project—allowing for a truly cohesive deliverable.”
