Tavern History
John Sparr Tavern was founded by Rick Powell and Dave Fink, ex-Disney Imagineers who have lived in Glendale for the past 30 years. It was their upstate New York roots that brought about the idea to build an East coast neighborhood tavern in Glendale, California. There are few memories of his youth more pleasant to Rick than those he shared at Blessings Tavern, in Colonie, New York, where he and his grandfather would meet to enjoy great American comfort food, good drinks, and lasting friendship.
While Dave too had his first draught beer at Blessing’s Tavern, his more recent discovery of Bender’s Tavern in Canton, Ohio was the inspiration for many elements of John Sparr Tavern’s design. The floor-to-ceiling marble walls, mosaic tile floors, tin ceilings and even the neon “Good Food” sign out front are “borrowed” from Bender’s.
Jennifer Naylor
A native Californian, Jennifer followed in her family’s footsteps to become third generation in the restaurant business. Her grandfather founded the Tiny Naylor’s chain, California’s original family-style restaurants and Googie-style drive-ins. Her father Biff Naylor also began at a young age under his father Tiny, and later rejuvenated the original Du-par’s restaurants.
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Jennifer joined the restaurant team of Wolfgang Puck, and worked under her most influential mentor for 15 years ultimately running his flagship restaurant Granita in Malibu.
Puck sent Naylor to travel through Italy for a year long
immersion in Italian cuisine. It was there that she was inspired by the Italian chefs’ creative and innovative use of traditional regional products, reduced to their simplest and purest form.
Naylor launched her first solo venture, Jennifer Naylor Catering and Special Events.
With the addition of John Sparr Tavern to the company, Jennifer hopes to continue the traditions set forth by the restaurant’s founders - a comfortable neighborhood spot with good food and drink, where everyone knows your name.