In the beginning.....

On June 1st, 2011, restaurateur Greg Morris (Spanish Kitchen, Belmont, Oaks Gourmet Market) and his General Manager at the market, Jeremy Fraye, took over a small eatery in the Franklin Village at the base of the Hollywood Hills. The former restaurant in that location,  Prizzi's Piazza, a beloved neighborhood spot serving Italian fare had moved on to a new location in Burbank. Greg and Jeremy saw an immediate opportunity to expand what they had begun at the market. A carefully chosen selection of craft beer, small batch whiskies and boutique wines now being served in a more polished take on the early American rustic tavern. 


Below is a series of photos taken while the restaurant was transformed over the course of eight months until finally opening their doors on December 22nd. The first two are the dramatic before and after shot from the same vantage point. 

Before 
06/01/11

After
01/01/12

Original lighting fixtures.

A very small bar. This needed to change. 

These are the original restroom fixtures.

This is the new look of the restrooms.

 

The pizza oven was removed to make a smaller kitchen and a larger bar.

The small upstairs was decided on being referred to as the "Snug". Named after the private areas of bars that during the turn of the century the policeman on the beat, the mayor and clergyman would drink away from prying eyes. 

This is Mauro, one of the men on a small crew that built almost everything in the restaurant themselves.

Barrels bought from a vineyard in Arroyo Grande.

Chevron tile chosen to make the upstairs "snug" feel more spacious.

Various vintage scotch crates were purchased on the internet to build a unique staircase.

A great find at Scavenger's Paradise in North Hollywood. It lights up every night at 10PM.

These were scales rescued from the Yellow Aster Mercantile on Hollywood Blvd.. Formerly a butcher shop and deli in the 1930's, these scales hadn't moved until now. They have been retrofitted to be the tap system and have become one of the more popular details in the restaurant. 

The wheels from inside the scales that listed the weight were re purposed as lampshades.

Chalkboard artist Ben Williams did a beautiful job with numerous chalkboards that adorn the wall at Franklin.

Ben was also commissioned to do large murals on the walls that flank the open kitchen.

Brick was added to the exterior to give it a more back east feel. 

 

The ampersand was originally designed by Jeremy brother, Sebastian Fraye. 

Specific bottle caps were chosen to be inlaid with the tile in the entryway to the restaurant.