NORTH HOLLYWOOD — Along North Hollywood's artsy Magnolia Boulevard, there's a subtle nod to Cincinnati started by three family members from Hamilton. Soon, they'll bring the Los Angeles experience back home.
"Almost every day there's another story of someone walking in, noticing this 513 and saying 'hey I grew up in Price Hill or on the East Side,'" said co-owner Jacob Jolivette. "You don't realize how much Ohio presence is out here."
Jolivette left a job at WCPO and moved to LA to pursue a career in production. He now works for Fox Sports.
But a chance meeting - and a night out - led he, his brother Vince, and their cousin Jay Davis to eye an up-and-coming part of town for a restaurant and bar.
"We wanted to really show where we’re from," Jolivette said about how they landed on the name The 513.
The homage is subtle: The logo is in the shape of the state of Ohio; The Cincinnati skyline is featured by the door; A Joe Burrow "9" pennant is on another wall; There's a Bengals football behind the bar.
By the kitchen, there's a framed picture of the Clifton Skyline Chili, as imagined on "The Simpsons." During happy hour, many drinks are $5.13.
"I don’t want to plaster everything Cincinnati and just be in your face about it," he said. "I love the idea that people come in and say, 'What does 513 mean?' And we tell them and they think it's pretty cool."
The bar opened during the pandemic, so Jolivette said they've been enjoying the enthusiasm around the Bengals run to the Super Bowl in Los Angeles. The 513 will host a pep rally Thursday for fans, and be open for an after party when the Super Bowl ends.
It was full of Bengals fans watching the AFC Championship.
"I never thought a bar [here] would be like that, yelling ‘Who Day’ and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ and ‘Hear that Bengal Growling’ over the speakers," he said.
Now, the Jolivettes and Davis are bringing their bar home to Hamilton, into an historic building on Main Street. It's not only a homecoming for the family, it's a chance to be part of another neighborhood transformation. Jolivette noted excitement around the upcoming Spooky Nook project as one factor.
"I think the one in Hamilton is going to be really special," he said. "I just hope Hamilton is ready."
