There’s a lot more to a restaurant’s success than food and drink, and at many of the most beloved restaurants in KC, that “more” starts with John O’Brien. Walk into any of the restaurants O’Brien and his team at Hammer Out Design have designed—like Brookside’s Earl’s Premier and Bacaro Primo or the West Bottoms’ Voltaire and Golden Ox—and you’ll notice a transportive quality. To dine at any one of his restaurants is to be whisked away from the outside world, even if for just a couple of hours. That’s because O’Brien’s work goes beyond throwing on a coat of paint, installing a bar or moving some furniture around. He and his team aren’t in the interior design business. They’re in the business of storytelling.
O’Brien describes restaurants as “magical little beings,” places where people come for an experience—to nourish themselves with food and community. To create that magic, many, if not hundreds, of elements must come together.
“If you have the food side plus the magic of an interior, and you can bring those together to start a restaurant outright, it can be pretty wonderful,” says O’Brien, who got his start working under Paul Robinson of the local Gilbert/Robinson restaurant empire.
From lighting and seating to the finer details like coat hooks and tip jars, O’Brien, his daughter Kaitlyn and his design partner Justin Gainan thrift and pull from their personal collections to bring a space to life. They don’t hesitate to travel across the country to snag some secondhand light fixtures from a Whirlpool factory in Fayetteville or the wooden remnants of a former butcher shop in Corpus Christi. It’s this sort of clunky improvisation that gives their spaces that timeless character the team has become known for.
“We always gotta have a few doors, some lumber or slabs on hand,” says Gainan, who has been working alongside O’Brien for 22 years. “Those things turn into different things. Some might become a bench, some might become shelves for a back bar. There’s a really special moment when things start to congeal. The restaurant begins to show itself.”
O’Brien and his team bring an almost spiritual quality to their craft. Collaboration and embracing imperfection are two of their core principles. Ironically, one of the biggest reasons their spaces (they design more than restaurants, but the food industry is their bread and butter) are so smartly done is because they don’t overthink it.
“I think sometimes the worst thing people do is overthink it,” O’Brien says. “You can feel that sometimes when you walk into a place—they’ve spent too much money, they’ve overthought it. It doesn’t have the magic.”
Nour’s, the team’s latest restaurant project, is a great example of Hammer Out Design’s “magic.” The restaurant, which will soon open at 39th Street and Warwick Boulevard in Park 39, a mixed-use building, is helmed by chef Marwan Chebaro, who has been working as a caterer for Sprint, Cerner and KU Med the last several years. Nour’s is an homage to Chebaro’s daughter, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 29.
O’Brien and his team have been working on the space for two years, and unlike Earl’s and the Golden Ox, which have an old-school appearance, Nour’s has a brighter, more colorful and modern aesthetic. It has a massive open kitchen, a bar, a grab-and-go section, a maker’s market and plenty of seating. Still, with all this, there are elements that make the space more than just a place to eat and drink. A massive Persian rug hung on the restaurant’s wall and other textiles from O’Brien’s personal collection honor the vibrancy of Chebaro’s Lebanese heritage. Then there are details that honor Chebaro’s daughter, like an altar, an addition both Chebaro and O’Brien hope encourages community.
O’Brien has also branded entire neighborhoods and movements, like the Crossroads and its tradition of First Fridays. Ultimately, he wants to see KC thrive. “I like working on neighborhoods and communities, and this is a town of really incredible things happening,” he says.
Because O’Brien is always thinking of the bigger picture, it’s not uncommon for him to be attached to a restaurant and its survival even after his design work is done. Invested in Nour’s success, he’s helping Chebaro search for the right chef to helm its kitchen, and because of the restaurant’s large parking lot, O’Brien envisions it hosting events with markets and food trucks.
“We’re working on a different level here,” he says. “But [Nour’s] is also going to have some kick-ass food.”
John O’brien’s Perfect Day in KC
Coffee
I’ll hit up Oddly with Justin and Caitlyn. That’s his go-to. Justin has turned me onto cappuccinos. If I’m hungry, I’ll get a doughnut.
A Cold One
I think the owners of Alma Mader Brewing are incredible. Justin and I love the glassware that they serve the drinks in.
The West Bottoms
I love sitting at the bar at Voltaire. I think it’s one of the prettiest that we’ve built. Also, I get to see Wes [Gartner], the owner. He’s a good friend of mine. I’m drinking a Victoria when I’m there. It’s a Mexican beer. It’s real simple, but I also like the label.
