Stars Lining Up For Brothers Henry and Brandon Cohanim

Two of the most successful concepts in the West Village are owned and operated by brothers who are years from celebrating their 30th birthdays.

Namo, a lively upscale sushi bar, and Bar Colette, the Parisienne-inspired bar next door, are the creations of Brandon and Henry Cohanim, SMU graduates and the dynamic next generation of hospitality leaders in Dallas. 

I interviewed them recently about their experience at SMU, how they fell into the business, and what the future holds for them.

“I chose SMU because I really loved Dallas,” Brandon said of coming here from his hometown of Beverly Hills. “It was 2014, and I saw opportunities here. I knew then that Dallas was going to be growing; it was already becoming someplace exciting. I knew if I planted roots here, I’d be able to grow with the city. On top of that, I loved SMU — where it’s located and so many other things about it.” 

Henry added, “I decided to study real estate and pursue a real estate career. I was impressed by SMU’s real estate program and all the resources going into it. And there was the beautiful, well-situated campus adjacent to Highland Park.” 

 Brandon started his first restaurant, Pōk the Raw Bar, in 2017 while still at SMU. “I moved here from LA, where poke was a staple in my life. I thought Dallas was missing it and needed some great, healthy, fast-casual dining. That’s why, at night, when everyone was partying, I was working to put Pōk together.” 

 In 2018, the space next door became available, and they opened Namo. “The Pōk lease expired during COVID,” Henry said, “and we thought it was time to pause and re-concept. That’s when the idea for Bar Colette came about. We wanted to create something unique that would complement Namo really well.”

Today, Namo is helmed by the immensely talented and uber-charming chef Kazuhito Mabushi, who hails from Ginza Onodera in West Los Angeles. Bar Collette is led by Ruben Rolon, who led the bar at L’Atelier Joël Robuchon Miami. Both were part of teams that earned two Michelin Stars at their respective restaurants.

Attracting that kind of talent is impressive, certainly more so for a relatively inexperienced team. 

Brandon sold them on Dallas as a place to live and thrive, and “we offered the opportunity for growth,” he said. “We want to be a platform from which our entire team can prosper and grow.” 

Sounds like they already are. Next year, the brothers will open Mamani in The Quad, where Christophe de Lellis, another Michelin-starred chef, will be culinary director.

The stars are lining up for Brandon and Henry, yet Brandon says they don’t consider themselves successful yet. “We’re still at such an early stage. Our success will be measured by the way we impact people who work with us and the way we impact our community.” 

Henry added, “We want to build a strong group of restaurants with great culture.”