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Life events only seem random in the moment, but when you add time and distance, they become steps of a single journey. Hearn’s 40-year career in the hospitality industry has been just that. 

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His latest restaurant venture at the Esplanade in Phoenix, AZ — brings him full circle, a sort of homecoming. 

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Hearn a native Phoenician, began his restaurant career working for George Biel and his fabled Houston’s restaurants. He started right at the Esplanade. He worked in the restaurant, assisted with setting up the test kitchen also located at Esplanade and then as part of the executive team, helped open their Scottsdale location.

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Although this was his first “taste” of the business, he was still young, and wanted to experience living outside of Arizona, so he took flight to New York City — he was young, and knew he needed to grow. Growth has been a recurring theme his whole life. 

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Upon arriving in New York City, he got a job working for Calvin Klein. A thrilling place to be working for the most famous designer and brand at the time. Hearn was smart, energetic, and new the opportunity he had to meet and network with the top movers and shakers in the city.

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Good fortune smiled upon Hearn as he was plucked away from CK to go work for a top PR Firm and within a New York minute, he oversaw one of their largest accounts, Snapple, heading up their TV Commercials.

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Hearn was at the top of his game, but knew that business was not for him, he now had some money, connections, a soho loft a pit bull and youth was on his side. He decided to just take a year off and enjoy his success and see where the currents led him.

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It was his next venture that truly changed his life as he accepted a position at his then (and now) favorite bar — The MercBar.

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It was during this time running the bar, that fate smiled upon him again, as he met his soul mate there — Dafina, she ended up working at the MercBar as well, and they were soon married. 

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Before long, baby number one — Andrra, was about to enter the picture, so the with pregnant wife in tow, he came back to Phoenix to start his next chapter and raise his family.

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By this time MercBar in Phoenix was in full swing as the “hot spot” in the Biltmore serving sexy cocktails to a well-heeled crowd. 

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“There was nothing like MercBar 30yrs ago, and what a thrill to be able to not only move home to Phoenix but to still feel like I was in NY due to the bar,” says Hearn.

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He quickly took over operations of MercBar Phx, and stayed until their baby came along. 

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Hearn, always in keen synchronicity with his life, knew this was a perfect time to enjoy being a new dad, which included a 2nd baby — a son — Dren, and step away from the bar life.

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It didn’t take long however, before Sam Fox recruited Hearn to operate True Food Biltmore while during the construction of Zinburger, where he took over operations of Zinburger during development and construction of Arrogant Butcher. This became the working template between Hearn and Fox through many more concepts including North and The Henry which would reunite Fox and Hearn after Hearn did a brief stint assisting the owners of Red Development to help build their burgeoning commercial real estate development company. With Red, Hearn curated and vetted potential restaurants for Red’s growing commercial real estate portfolio. 

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His next move was to work with developer Tom Frenkel on his Clayton House project in Old Town Scottsdale. Frankel wanted to build and operate a multi-use event space. Hearn spearheaded the project for Frankel seeing it from concept-to-canapes. He managed all aspects of development from construction, to opening operations.

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Hearn was in hot demand at this point, having worked with the most successful owners and concepts in town and a track record that was formidable.

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Another well-known operator, and friend of Hearn’s, Tucker Woodbury of Genuine Concepts, had just opened his flagship Vig at McDowell Mountain and needed some assistance in streamlining operations. Hearn was at the ready and saw them through until the beginning of Covid where everything stopped, but not for Hearn who took that downtime to enjoy his family life and choose his next offer which came from a past server of his from Arrogant Butcher — Teddy Myers.

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Myers over time had become a restaurateur himself and reached out to Hearn to help him with his Mexican Concept Chico Malo as well as oversee the construction and future operations of Wren & Wolf where Hearn has presided since its inception.

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But it is now time for Hearn to strike out on his own again. He has formed his own hospitality company with partner Rick Phillips, named 151 Hospitality. The 151 is a nod to the original address of the MercBar in NYC which was located at 151 Mercer St., the spot where Hearn and Phillips met.

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Hearn is launching his new company with three new concepts at the Esplanade, one of which is converting the 30yr old MercBar into Modern Tavern. 

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Life has certainly come full circle for Hearn as this homecoming reveals that the universe has always had a plan for him, even if he did not know it at the time.