H.Wood Buys Out Hakkasan to Pursue Their Own Restaurant and Nightlife Destiny

LA’s powerhouse hospitality company h.Wood Group, which opened The Nice Guy, Delilah, and Poppy, among others, has re-acquired its global rights from its now former strategic partner, Hakkasan Group by buying 100% of its equity back.

Back in 2014, massive nightlife brand Hakkasan took a majority stake in the local company founded by John Terzian and Brian Toll. In the four years since the takeover, h.Wood Group was able to expand its portfolio to include celebrity hot spots Delilah, Petite Taqueria, The Peppermint Club, and most recently, the nightclub Poppy. Those brands joined h.Wood’s existing bars and restaurants SHOREbar, The Nice Guy, Bootsy Bellows, and Blind Dragon.

The new deal gives Terzian and Toll the exclusive rights to develop, own, license, franchise, and manage all of The h.wood Group properties. Terzian explains:

It was the right time for us to be independent again. We have a well-capitalized balance sheet, a talented and expanding executive team, and a robust pipeline of new venues opening over the next two years. We are actively evaluating a number of opportunities for the expansion of our concepts globally. It’s an exciting time for us and we believe that this will ignite a path for The h.wood Group’s further development and expansion as a globally-recognized hospitality brand in the coming years.

As a newly independent group, The h.wood Group is continuing its large-scale expansion plans, with new concepts developing locally, along with the growth into new markets. By the end of the year, the company will open eight new venues including 40 LOVE, SLAB, Mason & Blind Dragon at FOUND Hotel Chicago, Mason Santa Monica, two food and beverage concepts at the upcoming 1 Hotel West Hollywood, and Bootsy Bellows Dallas.

Perhaps with all of its celebrity and regular clientele, h.wood realized that they’ve got a brighter future than any other restaurant and nightlife group in LA at the moment. First LA, next, the world.

• Hakkasan Takes Majority Slice of h.wood Group [ELA]
• LA’s Hottest Celebrity Restaurant Group Will Open a Country Club-Style Sports Bar [ELA]