Steven Durbahn is the Managing Partner of hotelier/restaurateur Jonathan Morr’s new BondSt Beverly Hills restaurant. Having joined the Jonathan Morr Group in 1996, Durbahn managed Morr’s first restaurant, Republic, before helping to launch the original BondSt in New York in 1998, and then BondSt Miami in 2001. We sat down with Durbahn to talk about the newest restaurant in the group, and the challenges facing restaurateurs hoping to break into the Los Angeles dining scene.

We chose LA, because I have wanted to live here since I fell in love with the city and weather many, many years ago. As a kid, I came here with my parents and went to all the attractions—Disneyland, Star Walk of Fame—and it was the first time I put my toe into the ocean. I fell in love and wanted to move out here since. So I started pushing Jonathan to start looking. The weather, the people and the lifestyle are second to none.

BondSt debuted in New York a decade ago, and then another one opened in Miami in 2001. What is different about BondSt Beverly Hills—how did you tailor the original concept to LA?

It has evolved from a very simple, Zen environment to a more upscale and dramatic design, but we wanted to keep a lot of the familiar elements from New York. As restaurants have gotten more elaborate and as people’s tastes have changed, so have we. What we really tried to do was a fresh, modern take on a classic.

What distinguishes the Los Angeles dining scene from others around the country that you have worked in?

The main difference is, the difficulty of getting around here really impedes people’s choices. The population is so spread out that you have to appeal to a much more diversified and widespread community. Your offering must be good enough to induce them to brave the elements (and traffic) to come to you, especially with sushi, since there are so many good sushi places to choose from. We just wanted to offer our take on sushi in our environment and our style of service, which is non-fussy, but always attentive, pleasant and courteous.

What were some of the LA-specific challenges you faced when opening BondSt Beverly Hills? 

LA has some very tough health and building codes, which always slow down construction. We were not prepared for how long the construction process would be here. In the end it is a better product and safer for everyone.