Jay Krymis Opens Mic’s Bar for West Hollywood Locals Seeking a Genuine Neighborhood Spot

West Hollywood has no shortage of bars, but few stick around long enough to feel like part of the neighborhood. Concepts come and go, each trying to outdo the last, and somewhere in that shuffle, the idea of a simple, familiar hangout has become harder to find.

When longtime hospitality entrepreneur and actor Jay Krymis opened Mic’s Bar, he imagined a place where people could once again feel welcomed, safe, and accepted. Named after his wife, Michel, whom he calls Mic, the bar reflects the friendly, open-hearted nature she’s known for.

After spending more than 40 years in the restaurant and bar industry, Krymis has seen his fair share of changes. He’s watched as many newer venues lean toward style and spectacle, often placing their focus on elaborate cocktails instead of the sense of community that once defined a neighborhood bar.

Most recently, he read an article about the disappearance of local dive bars across the country, confirming what he’d seen firsthand. Today, Mic’s Bar is his way of restoring a more old-school style of gathering place, one that invites people to connect with one another and make the space their own.

“The neighborhood bar is a place for the community. A place to meet, to blow off steam, to celebrate, to engage, to mourn together,” he said. “Low prices, sports, sponsoring local teams, never a silly cover and an always welcome, open, safe, friendly space for everyone.”

How Strong Teams Create Memorable Nights

The comfort people feel when they walk into a well-run bar almost always comes from a great deal of effort behind the scenes. Krymis knows this better than most. People sometimes assume that running a bar looks like a night spent socializing, but the reality is much more involved.

“The hours are long and the work is demanding,” he said. “There is nothing that I love more in the bar business than talking with guests and having fun. But that is a small part of the job.”

Much of his time is spent on administrative work, and experience has shown him that those responsibilities never really slow down. He’s also learned that a bar can’t run at its best if he steps too far back, even with a capable team around him.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, that became even more evident. When the industry changed overnight, he saw just how important it was for him to remain personally involved in the details rather than letting someone else take over.

Still, he relies heavily on his team and values the strengths they bring, making a point to hire people whose abilities balance out his own. In his mind, the staff are all in it together, and that shared sense of responsibility is what keeps the bar strong.

A firm believer in leading by example, Krymis jumps in whenever he’s needed to help with tasks around the bar, making sure his employees never feel like they’re carrying the workload alone. That same spirit of togetherness shapes the atmosphere at Mic’s, where the day-to-day interactions between staff and guests set the tone.

“I think the biggest and most important part of any hospitality biz is the staff… by far,” Krymis said. “Next comes the music and the aesthetic of the room. Folks love a cozy spot but it is the people… People are everything.”

Before opening any venue like Mic’s, he brings his staff together for regular team meetings. Some conversations focus on logistics, while others are meant to strengthen the connection between employees and help everyone feel like a unit.

“My employees are very important to me,” he said.” They are the reason the bar has been so successful.” Even with the long hours and the constant stream of administrative work, his enthusiasm for the business remains the same.

Business That Brings People Together

Krymis’s commitment to community traces back to his very first job. As a teenager, he washed dishes at a seafood restaurant in a Philadelphia suburb, working after school and on the weekends.

The staff were instantly welcoming, and he still remembers the lively energy that filled the dining area, carried in by the customers who came to enjoy a meal and each other’s company. Those early experiences are constant reminders of what hospitality should feel like and what he hopes people sense the moment they walk into Mic’s.

Mic’s isn’t the only bar Krymis has opened over the course of his career. Before moving to Los Angeles, he opened, consulted, and managed several other venues throughout Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware.

After relocating to Southern California, he continued building, creating more than a dozen diverse locations. His work in the region includes “66” Restaurant and Bar on Sunset Boulevard, Fubar in West Hollywood, Schmitty’s, Padre in Long Beach, and several Mezcalero locations.

Along with his work in hospitality, he also co-owns Booked Talent, an extras casting agency, with his wife.

Across his many ventures, certain memories stand out, almost always tied to the way people connect inside his bars. Some couples first met while working at one of his venues, while others crossed paths as guests and eventually fell in love and started families together. Stories like these have stayed with him, a reminder of the deeper role a neighborhood bar can play in people’s lives.

Community, however, has never been something that starts and ends at the door. For years, Krymis has supported nonprofits like APLA, Food on Foot, and Chrysalis. These organizations confront real-world concerns like homelessness, food insecurity, joblessness, and limited access to essential healthcare services.

The City of West Hollywood, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and the California Senate have all acknowledged his contributions to local economic and community development. For Jay Krymis, those honors speak to the long-standing relationships he has built in the neighborhoods he serves.

“Recently my driving force has been to be of service,” he shared. “Yes, we are a business, but besides the bottom line it is important to me that we are a positive force in the community.”

A Second Calling

While many people know Krymis for his work in hospitality, others recognize him from the film and television projects he has taken on over the years. His acting career includes appearances in films such as “Tall Tales of the Wild West,” “Prepare to Die,” “Jim Bridger,” “Gladiators,” and “Christmas Eve.” He was also part of the cast of “Traffic,” which earned a Screen Actors Guild Award.

His work later expanded into television when he sold an eight-episode series, “In the Big House,” to Viacom. More recently, he booked a nationwide commercial campaign, and a three-picture movie deal is set to begin soon.

Acting has never been a casual pursuit, but a passion that Krymis continues to nurture through auditions, classes, and on-set work. Being self-employed has given him the flexibility to make room for both careers, even if it means keeping his calendar full.

For him, performing and hospitality have always felt closely connected. Whether on set or behind the bar, his job is to make sure that the people in front of him feel entertained, and the more grounded he is, the better he becomes at both crafts.

“Acting has allowed me to be more open with myself and with our guests,” he said. 

Leaving Behind What Lasts

As Jay Krymis looks ahead, he hopes to keep doing what he loves while continuing to improve the community around him. Mic’s Bar may be new, but the heart behind it has been years in the making, stretching all the way back to his earliest years in hospitality.

While the industry has gone through its share of changes, especially as technology transforms the guest experience, his focus has stayed the same.

“The one thing that has not changed is people,” he said. “Community is still what has not changed. We are human. We need to socialize. That will never change.”

Now in his mid-fifties, success looks different than it once did. He has slowed down in some areas and become more intentional in others, giving more attention to what matters most.

“Success to me is doing what you love and making a living at it,” he said. “I have been very lucky that way. I also think success is giving back and serving the community and that is something I am always working on.”

He wants his legacy to show how much he cared about the people around him, from his friends and family to the guests and employees keeping each bar alive. Although he enjoys the creative rush of designing a new bar, the most meaningful moments are the ones when he looks around and sees people enjoying what he and his team have built.

For Krymis, Mic’s Bar is more than a business venture. It represents the life he has lived, the values he leads with, and the community he’s committed to serving for years to come.