A Los Angeles hospitality veteran is banking on mid-century design, rigorous cocktails, and a Debbie Harry–inspired attitude to capture the Toluca Lake crowd.
Bar Harry arrived in Los Angeles this week as a two-part concept: a craft cocktail bar and chef-driven restaurant paired with Camp Funtime, a companion space built around the kind of irreverent, creative energy you’d expect from its muse—Debbie Harry in her downtown New York era, not the Blondie icon everyone knows. Owner Richard DiSisto, whose track record includes Tipple & Brine and Tunnel Bar, has spent two years developing this project with a serious hospitality bench: Bar Director Johnathan Fite (formerly Employees Only LA), Executive Chef David Lopez (Alba, Chi Spacca, Mastro’s Beverly Hills), and Operations Director Beverly Mejorada. That’s not a casual lineup, and it signals DiSisto isn’t treating this as a theme bar with cocktails as an afterthought.
What matters for on-premise buyers and operators is the execution framework here. Bar Director Fite leads a cocktail program described as “highly considered”—industry language that usually means technique-forward, ingredient-focused, and built for bartenders who can articulate every decision. Chef Lopez brings serious steakhouse and contemporary American chops to what’s positioned as comfort food, which in this context likely means elevated classics, not nostalgic shortcuts. The mid-century modern design aesthetic ties to Harry’s downtown 1970s New York reference point, creating a visual and thematic throughline that justifies both the cocktail rigor and the kitchen’s ambition. That coherence—when concept, leadership, and execution align—is what separates destination bars from forgettable openings.
Here is The Proof
A veteran LA hospitality operator has assembled a credible cocktail director, a classically trained executive chef, and a deliberate design narrative around a specific cultural moment and artist ethos. The presence of two distinct spaces (Bar Harry and Camp Funtime) suggests DiSisto is targeting both the evening cocktail crowd and whatever “campground” activations entail—likely events, performances, or extended experiences that keep customers engaged beyond a single drink.
For bars and restaurants tracking emerging competition and operator talent in Los Angeles, Bar Harry is worth monitoring. DiSisto’s previous venues have established him as an operator who invests in bartender quality and guest experience rather than chasing novelty. A Bar Director with Employees Only pedigree, combined with the creative constraints of a Debbie Harry reference frame, suggests this program will appeal to the clientele that actually cares about how their cocktails are made. Toluca Lake isn’t the obvious choice for an elevated cocktail destination, which may be precisely the point—establishing a serious beverage program outside the downtown and West Hollywood noise.
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