Meet John Arakaki | Owner & Operator

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Arakaki and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, what is the most important factor behind your success?
St Felix is a destination venue for Award Winning Food & Cocktails that has evolved into Event Production ranging from Intimate Birthday Parties & Celebrations to Large Scale Event Buyouts from key partners such as Netflix, The Hollywood Fringe Festival, TV Shows & Film Wrap Parties as well as a great synergy with our neighbors Amoeba Music, The Pantages Theater, Hollywood Bowl, The LA Film School, Los Angeles LGBT Center, The Archlight Movie Theater, The Montalban, and Palladium to name a few. For our concept the key paths to success – Consistency, Details, Execution, Pivoting, & Community Outreach St Felix consistently delivers an amazing dining & nightlife experience. We engineered a menu that equally features Cocktails and SIgnature Dishes that have gone beyond trends and have become staples as we pass 12 Years of Doing Business in LA. Our Signature Cocktails have become iconic in the Cocktail Community with no changes to the menu since we opened! We work diligently with our food and liquor suppliers to ensure the highest quality ingredients available. This approach has maintained our crowd flow, and continues to attract a new generations of young professionals & artists Details are always noticed and vital to relevancy in an industry known for trends. We continuously pivot while maintaining the integrity of the St Felix Brand. From Music, to Video Art Loops done by the owner, to Food Trends, High Level Aesthetics to new Drink Offerings. We are constantly striving for improvement. St Felix does not comprehend complacency Positive community relationships is vital to a small business as well as extremely gratifying. We have many long term relationships with Companies, Non Profits, Community Leaders. This inclusive attitude has been a staple for our business as St Felix can remain a trend setting concept while having substance behind product and most importantly impact in our community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
St Felix is known for being ahead of the curve. Always incorporating New Music, Food Specials, Cocktails ideas & Keen Aesthetic Design ideas that work with our concept, so it’s constantly fresh without losing the integrity and feel of our brand that has been an Award Winning Concept for over a decade. We just don’t believe in complacency. Due to the world in constant motion and change you need to be flexible and informed always ready to pivot to anything new on the horizon. One thing I always look for also is to continue the art of compromise. Issues will always arise especially in small business. It’s important to find a happy medium.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love Shintaro for Authentic Japanese Sushi & Service. Consistent and impeccable presentation and delivery. I also enjoy The LA Classics – Rainbow Bar & Grill, Musso & Franks, Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, Jumbo’s Clown Room, Formosa Cafe, Burgundy Room, Mastro’s in Beverly Hills & The Frolic Room. In ever changing times it’s great to have places to go with history and authentic feel. The Classics dictate the soul of a city through decades and generations of business. I also enjoy the Roof Top Views of many of the Hotel Offerings – The Standard Downtown, The Dream, Mama Shelter here in Hollywood. I have also enjoyed the Rich Cultural history of food offerings in Thai Town, Little Tokyo, The Peruvian Restaurants along Vine as well as the amazing Latino offerings the city has. I have always enjoyed the Cultural Diversity that makes this city special and great. I love finding new pockets of culinary adventures that expand my knowledge and inspire me to push the envelope here at St Felix.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has been an amazing resource and support group for all the aspects of navigating Small Business in LA County.

Website: http://saintfelix.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stfelixhwd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StFelixHwd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saintfelixhollywood/

Image Credits
St Felix