Amidst the grit and grunge of Downtown Los Angeles, there is a door on the third floor of a large urban building that looms over a corner of the Arts District. The door reads Chapter & Verse through the clouded glass and is tucked away inside a cooperative workspace called HUB. Through this door is a world of experimentation, design, and a young team of creators and curators of the libation experience. Hundreds of bottles of liquor and spirits rest on several shelves over their test bar made of metal and wood. Among their tools are a centrifuge apparatus, a sous vide device, and containers of every possible spice and herb you can think of.

It only took one conversation with owners David Kaplan and Alex Day to convince me that we needed to document their story in the hospitality industry. Their product—whether it’s a cocktail, the ambience and design of a restaurant, or simply the shape of the ice cube in your drink—is an experience that is subconsciously appreciated by the consumer in their moment of happiness. Our goal was not to just capture that final moment of enjoyment, but the journey and the meticulous process it takes to get there.

The portfolio of restaurants and bars they have managed and curated includes Death & Co (NYC), The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co (Philadelphia), The Rose (Jackson Hole, Wy), Ellipsis (Mumbai, India), and now their latest venture, Honeycut: an underground (literally) lounge of their own in Downtown Los Angeles.

Welcome to the world of Proprietors LLC.