Interview with Brent Bolthouse | Nov 2012

12TH STREE
• AT PIECE
WHERE NOW Los
CHASER • C
Angeles
• ESCAPE B
GENETIC D
JENNIFER Z
You moved to L.A. from Joshua
Tree. How did your lifestyle
change?
I came to L.A. to get sober and I
have stayed sober. That’s been
the biggest change of my life.
» Q+A
A HOUSE TO
CALL A HOME
Entrepreneur Brent Bolthouse, 42, is Los Angeles nightlife. No
one person has been as effective as luring Young Hollywood
and Old Hollywood out to see and be seen than this California
native. After creating Bolthouse Productions in the ‘90s, he
partnered with Sam Nazarian’s SBE Entertainment Group and
created such establishments as Hyde, Area, Foxtail and Katsuya.
In 2009, the Hollywood Dell resident joined forces with VOX
Entertainment to form Bolthouse VOX, which counts HBO,
Mercedes-Benz and Wolfgang Puck among its clients. His newest nightspot, the Bungalow, adjacent to the Fairmont Miramar
Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, is a place “that I can call
home for my friends and [me],” says Bolthouse. —Jessica Radloff
How has the nightlife industry
evolved in the past 10 years?
The landscape has changed
so much. The truth is, nightlife in Hollywood has become
only about money and the guy
who buys tables from $300 to
$3,000 per night. There is no
vibe, there is no soul, there is no
sense of family like there once
was 10 or 15 years ago when
the whole cast of That ‘70s Show
spent every Friday night after a
taping at whatever club we had
at the time. Additionally, TMZ
has changed so much about
nightlife. While it feeds the
public’s addiction to celebrity,
it in turn also keeps those same
celebrities out of most clubs.
This is why the Chateau Marmont and SoHo House are better
than ever. We all love going to a
place that makes us feel safe.
do you still enjoy going out to a
lounge or club after spending so
many years in the business?
I love going out and I love people. Of course I have nights to
myself, but even after 22 years,
it is still in me. [However,] I don’t
love fist-pounding clubs with
dance music at 120 decibels on
my night off.
How did you come up with the
concept for the Bungalow?
For years, I wanted to have a
place on the Westside and have
always loved the Baja Cali vibe
that is part of L.A. life. Santa
Monica needed a place with a
vibe that fit their lifestyle. It was
one of those “a-ha” moments.
what kind of hours does a
nightcrawler like you keep?
That’s funny. I’m up by 8:30 am
each day and go to bed no later
than 2 am.
where do you go for the best
meal in L.A.?
Tasting Kitchen in Venice, Il
Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi, and
Fig in Santa Monica.
where do you shop?
I like to keep it simple—Chucks
and Dior jeans and H&M for
everything else.
for those that are intimidated
by L.A. nightlife—bottle service,
the velvet rope—what’s your
best advice for having a good
time?
Go to The Bungalow and skip
the velvet rope. We’re a neighborhood place with a warm and
welcome vibe.
deTAILS
The Bungalow 101 Wilshire Blvd.,
Santa Monica, 310.899.8530
Chateau Marmont 8221 Sunset
Blvd., L.A., 323.656.1010 dior
Homme 315 N. Rodeo Drive,
Beverly Hills, 310.247.8003
fig Fairmont Miramar Hotel &
Bungalows, 101 Wilshire Blvd.,
Santa Monica, 310.319.3111
H&M 6922 Hollywood Blvd.,
Hollywood, 323.466.7633; Sunset Plaza, 8580 Sunset Blvd.,
West Hollywood, 310.855.9683;
additional locations at hm.com
Il ristorante di Giorgio Baldi 114
W. Channel Road, Santa Monica,
310.573.1660 SoHo House
9200 W. Sunset Blvd., West
Hollywood, 310.432.9200
Tasting kitchen 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310.392.6644
• MADISON
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GOES AROU
DEREK LAM
BY CHANCE
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DEREK LAM
BY CHANCE
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CHRIS WEEKS/WIREIMAGE
How did you get involved in
the hospitality and nightlife
industry?
I was 19, and it happened at
the right time and place, with
my first club being Opus Lily. I
had no idea what I was getting
myself into, but there was a line
with 300 kids by 10 pm.
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