More than two decades after Ben Shenassafar founded streetwear brand the Hundreds with his partner Bobby Kim, he’s doing something entirely new to him — opening a restaurant. On June 25, Shenassafar will debut the Benjamin Hollywood on Melrose Avenue.

“I’ve never wanted to open a restaurant,” Shenassafar says. “I have a lot of friends in the industry, and some of my closest friends own a lot of restaurants here in town and around the world, and I see how hard it is and how much work they put into it.” After years of selling T-shirts, hats, and other apparel for a living, he thought that founding Family Style Fest, a food festival, would be the closest he would ever get to the industry. Still, questions followed him of when he would be opening a restaurant, or if he had thought about it, and each time he affirmed that it wasn’t in his current plans. But in early 2023, Shenassafar found he started having more free time on his hands. “Something inside was just like, maybe it’s time you should explore this,” Shenassafar says.

The first person he went to was Jared Meisler, a longtime friend and the bar proprietor behind the Moon Room, the Friend, Bar Lubitsch, and more. The two had always talked about doing something together, but nothing had ever solidified. In no rush, Meisler and Shenassafar meandered through Los Angeles looking at potential spaces for the restaurant, but nothing felt quite right. After having dinner at Stir Crazy, Meisler took Shenassafar to the corner of Melrose and Formosa and just from seeing the 1920s Art Deco building from the outside, something clicked. “The next morning we met, we went inside and saw the space, and that was it,” Shenassafar says.

Drawing on the building’s architectural history, Shenassafar and Meisler began dreaming up designs that looked like something that could’ve been part of the original interior. The Benjamin’s sumptuous dining room features frosted glass Art Deco chandeliers set against dark wood-paneled walls. An L-shaped oak bar lives in the center of the room, with olive green mohair booths around the edges. Underfoot, a frond-print carpet stretches throughout the space. At first, Shenassafar was opposed to naming the restaurant after himself, but multiple friends suggested variations on the one he eventually landed on.

Wonho Frank Lee

For the menu, Shenassafar tapped Johnny Cirelle, who formerly worked at Spago, Bavel, and Bestia, to be the executive chef. After doing a tasting with Cirelle, Shenassafar called up his previous employer Ori Menashe before extending an offer. “Ori couldn’t have given Johnny more praise,” he says. Cirelle set out to develop a menu that draws on Shenassafar’s memories of eating steak frites, deviled eggs, burgers, or chocolate chip cookies by himself at restaurant bars in Paris and New York. “I took a lot of inspiration from the restaurants like that that I enjoy eating at,” Shenassafar says. “And I felt like LA didn’t have one at the level that we wanted to execute.”

The opening menu features starters like the deviled eggs or the crab beignets, and salads, such as the Goddess with chopped kale and tarragon and wedge salad with bacon lardon are also on offer. Mains include the Benjamin burger with American cheese and hickory sauce, Australian wagyu with a cognac cream sauce, and roasted heirloom chicken. For dessert, save room for the house-made chocolate chip cookie served with whipped cream. “I think the best seats in the house are at the bar,” Shenassafar says. I want people to come in and have a drink or two, a burger, fries, and chocolate chip cookies.”

As for drinks, Shenassafar turned to Meisler and his other business partner Kate Burr to outline the offerings. Acclaimed bartender Nathan Oliver developed the cocktails which include drinks like Ben’s Martini served with a side of chips, the Be Bright Martini with Be Bright espresso and Japanese whiskey, and a spicy strawberry margarita. Sommelier Sam Rethmeier has also curated a wine and beer menu for the restaurant.

Though the Benjamin is a separate operation from the Hundreds, Shenassafar couldn’t resist bringing a bit of his streetwear experience into the operation. The restaurant staff will all be outfitted in custom black chore coats designed by the brand. The coat may just be the start of the crossover, with Shenassafar hinting at more staff clothing coming and potential merch in the future.

With this being Shenassafar’s debut restaurant, he’s spent time personally molding every aspect of the experience to make guests feel welcome, and he jokes about living at the restaurant in the days leading up to its opening. “I want people to enjoy the room, to enjoy the food, to enjoy the music they’re listening to, to enjoy the service and the hospitality,” Shenassafar says. “My dream is for everyone that comes there to walk out and go up to the host and say, ‘Hey, can I make a reservation for next week?’”

The Benjamin Hollywood is set to open on June 25 at 7174 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046, and will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to late. Reservations are available via Resy.