The nightlife impresario making old school cool for a new generation.
Co-founder, The h.wood Group
A native of LA, John Terzian grew up nostalgic for the supper-club sophistication of the Rat Pack era — when people dressed dinner and “the piano was the center of the party.” His company, The h.wood Group, is now bringing that vibe back to West Hollywood for a new generation. Nightclubs like Delilah, Harriet’s and The Nice Guy have become supernovas — famous not only for their meticulous design and thickly glamorous atmosphere, but for the celebrities they attract on a near-nightly basis. So popular, they’re now being exported to cities as varied as Nashville and Dubai. “I had this vision to do things in a different way, with this extreme attention to design that no one in LA was really doing,” says John. “They were doing it a little bit more in Europe and London, but from what I could tell at the time no one was doing it here. So I got inspired to just do my own thing.”
John was filmed at Delilah and the Sunset Strip.
“We started The h.wood group in Hollywood, but about 12 years ago we realized that West Hollywood is everything that we stand for, so we moved our entire focus to being [here]. To this day, no matter where we go in the world, our home is West Hollywood, and we pay tribute to it.”
“I always say I think I should have been born in a different time. I have an affinity for the old school Rat Pack. What I loved about it was, that era really invented the true essence of the supper club-type vibe, which to me is the coming together of people, live music, food, socializing, all in one.”
“Since West Hollywood’s formation, it has cultivated and attracted the type of people that have paved the way with food and fashion and arts and hospitality.”
“I think that all the cultural movements and everything creative that happens in Los Angeles starts in West Hollywood. I think it’s a city that has really harnessed that energy.”
John Recommends…
“Sunset Tower is one of my favorite restaurants and hotels.”
“Dan Tana’s is a legendary restaurant that I love. It is true Rat Pack — kind of old school.”
“One of my favorite sushi places in the world is Sushi Park, which is in West Hollywood and is incredible.”
