Restaurateur Brad Johnson’s Recipe For Success

“During the strategy discussions specific to the redevelopment of Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, it was clear how important it was to have a quality restaurant that would satisfy the desires of the community. In my mind there was one clear choice to start our efforts. That was Brad,” says Lombard. “He had displayed his commitment to the community, along with creativity and professionalism in his previous endeavors that made him the perfect choice.”

Before creating Post & Beam, Johnson attended local community meetings to better understand what its members felt was most lacking in the neighborhood. The success of Post & Beam and the revitalization of the neighborhood occurred simultaneously. Anchor stores include Macy’s and Walmart, while new businesses such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, as well as other restaurants, a multiplex cinema, and retail businesses were drawn to the area.

Post & Beam is helmed by Johnson along with world-renowned executive chef and co-owner Govind Armstrong. Embracing locally sourced ingredients, Post & Beam utilizes an on-site garden and the South Central Farmers’ Cooperative to create a menu offering seasonal California cuisine with a touch of soul.

“When I was first approached to do the restaurant in Baldwin Hills, knowing that the community is predominantly African American, I really wanted to find an African American chef–together we would be able to create a concept that spoke to the community, but one also that would matter to L.A. food critics,” Johnson says. He believed having a qualified chef would ensure the restaurant garnered major mainstream press.

Armstrong and Johnson had spoken a few years back about the possibility of doing business together. “While he grew up in Costa Rica, he was born in Inglewood, California, in a neighborhood adjacent to Baldwin Hills. Govind was the obvious choice,” asserts Johnson. Indeed, in 2013 and 2014, Post & Beam made the “Best 101 Restaurants” list in the LA Times. A year later in 2013, Johnson, Armstrong and then-Post & Beam Hospitality Group director of operations David Borrego, opened Willie Jane in Venice, California. The Southern eatery is named after Johnson’s 101-year-old aunt. The two restaurants generate about $2 million each in annual revenues.

Johnson says his long-term vision for the two restaurants is to launch a product line. “Govind has this fantastic all-around spice that he’s perfected over the years, so, we are going to be bottling that along with a couple of other products.” Johnson also has been consulting with other hopeful restaurant owners. One such person is actor Tyrese Gibson. There may even be a book in the works about the restaurant business and his experience, Johnson says. “I’ve had a lot of stored [knowledge] I’ve accumulated over the years.”