Meet Mary Preston of Birds in Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Preston.

They say necessity is the ‘Mother of Invention.’ So true in our case. Working in restaurants and bars from age 18 to support my love of performing, at age 34, I figured owning my own place was my true destiny. And not as a consolation prize. Restaurant/Bar work had all the elements I loved about an acting career;  the drama, the passion, the thrill of live performance(though EVERY night!)and even the risk. Plus, in all of those years working for others in restaurants,I had all along fantasized how I would do it differently, and how I would have the freedom to make it FUN. Fun for me, for staff and for customers alike.

My partner, Henry, had a successful writing career in Hollywood. Je had a great natural sales talent and a good business head. And he had always loved writing in noisy public cafes and bars rather than in his office. And he loved the feeling of community in neighborhood joints and “studied people” and human behavior as a writer.

People are, after all, opened up and their true selves a bit more when relaxed AND after a beer or 2!

At some point he said “Mary, pretend we’re in Vegas; let’s cash in every penny we’ve saved, rob my retirement account, max out our credit, and roll the dice. Let’s open a restaurant & bar. We’ll actually have fun at work!” And then said, “how hard can it be?” HA! Snort! But he was right, in the sense that as hard and competitive and grueling as it is, you can endure it when it’s YOURS. Working 14-16 hours/day for years, no vacation, phone ‘on’ even when you’re sleeping, would be impossible if you were working for someone else. I guess pride in ownership is a strong cocktail of pure adrenaline and a triple shot espresso. I do recommend having space for a cot and a toothbrush in your business office!

We wanted primarily to create a place that was more about the atmosphere and sense of fun than a particular menu or genre.

Mostly a place that didn’t take itself too seriously(other than in relation to the health dept!). And according to our loyal (85% regulars) customer base, that is what Birds still is after 25 years; a place that is first and foremost, pardon the expression; “a good vibe’. I hesitate to even use the word guests as our customers really are  family.

Staff loyalty is amazing too. Several have been with us over 20 years, as has been the case all along. In the words of “Bartender Bob who had been there over 18 years;  “Mary, this is the best dead-end job I’ll ever have!”

The ‘good vibe’ of Birds was partly by design. Before we opened, Henry and I realized that L.A. can be an isolating big city like no other, especially back in 1993.

It was geographically sprawling with very little sense of ‘neighborhood,’ made worse by a 100% car culture at the time. No foot traffic anywhere, long distances between businesses, no sidewalks or walking to bump into people, unlike New York, San Francisco, etc. In that way there was almost no sense of community and it was hard to make friends, socialize or even have basic human interaction. Even residential neighbors didnt seem to know one another. I met most of my neighbors for 15 years only AFTER the ’94 earthquake when folks ran into the street, checked on each others’ safety at 4 a.m. and organized a coffee run!

I’m thrilled there are now self-contained pocket neighborhoods & villages springing up everywhere aided by, or as a result of, people walking, bicycling & even Uber! The coffee house trend helped with LA isolation too.

The other reason, I believe, that Birds is still successful after 25 years is that we do encourage staff to really be themselves and have fun at work and interract with guests NOT using a corporate “script” to read from.

Like laughter, having fun at work trickles down and is contagious. And we want our customers to feel like they’re home, except they don’t have to get up and do the dishes!

Has it been a smooth road?
We were very fortunate to make money and pay off our initial start-up debt in less than six months. And that was because ‘neighbors’ had been walking by and poking their heads in for eight months before we opened. They would stop by and ask ‘how much longer’ all the time.

OBSTACLES:
Obstacles were building, and safety inspections on remodeling a 1929 space, and we didnt own but rented. We had to bring things “up to code” out of pocket, no help from building owner. And LA was NOT particularly business friendly. One of the hardest places to open a business as a matter of fact.

Obstacles over the years were fights over permit parking, which would have killed the commercial end of this 1920s mixed-use neighborhood, a hard fight for a liquor license launched by just 1 single homeowner belonging to a powerful homeowners association. And just one or two ‘sneaky wheel’ neighbors who did NOT wanna see progress in the form of more dining, boutiques, coffee houses on this once ‘dying’ neighborhood. It was worth the fight and the hearings and the petitions collected for city council. We are now an exciting village made up of multiple restaurants, a charming newsstand, gourmet and organic foods and handmade ice creams. And fine wines, coffee houses, live Improv theater and an art gallery.

And the artists already living around this area tucked away in apartments all around, have come out of their one bedrooms and studios and converged. Who knew we were so surrounded by painters, musicians, sculptors, actors, writers, poets, singers? They are here, and more are coming every year, and the village does buzz with exchanges of creativity. People say they wonder if it’s what their parents experienced in ‘the village’ in NYC in the 1960s and 1970s. Well, that’s probably a little too generous! But that would be okay with Henry and me!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We do comfort food with the overall them being chicken, thus the name “Birds.” Chicken roasted and rotisserie and served with artichoke garlic dip sauce among others. And chicken pot pie, chicken chili and sandwiches, chicken salads and on and on. But we have expanded over the years to some vegetarian and even vegan, and Mexican chicken dishes. Also, NEARLY every item on our menu is made in-house and from scratch.

The other half of the business is the bar and its atmosphere and life of its own. We have as much spontaneous fun at the bar as possible. Everything from sing-along contests to playing Twister or shooting nerf basketballs at a mini hoop. We even let the customers shoot a marshmallow gun at the boss. People like to ‘shoot the boss’ after all. The ‘fun’ is usually improvised, and organic. But when you have actors and singers and artists working for you, we find that they should be let loose to do what they do best! Let ’em show off. It’s free!

No, we are NOT like Dave & Buster’s. There is nothing resembling ‘corporate’ about any place on this block in our village. It is quite the opposite. Also, NEARLY every item on our menu is made in-house and from scratch. No, we don’t make our own mustard or mayo. But close!

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Nestled almost under the Hollywood sign, bordering the Hollywood Hills and one street north mom bustling Hollywood Blvd, six blocks from the entrance to Griffith Park and Los Feliz.

Pricing:

• Sandwiches average $12 lunch and dinner. 1/4 chicken with a side dish and bread and dip sauce 10.50

Contact Info:

• Address: 5925 Franklin Avenue
  Hollywood, CA 90028
• Website: birdshollywood.com
• Phone: 323 465 0175
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @birdshollywood
• Facebook: birdshollywood