A third generation Los Angeles native, Michael LaFetra got the restaurant investor bug while living in New York City. He became one of the primary investors of Miracle Bar and Grill in the West Village.
He returned to Los Angeles in 1999 to explore a passion in architecture and has since served as his own client in a long series of restorative projects including; John Lautner’s Wolf, Rawlins, & Stevens Houses, a Neutra remodel in the Hollywood Hills, R.M. Schindler’s How and Woolf Houses, Thornton Abell’s Rich house, A. Quincy Jones’ Volk & Sherwood House, Pierre Koenig’s CSH #21 & LaFetra Beach House, Ray Kappe’s Gould and Gertler residences, the winter-hardy mountain cabin of Richard Skinner and a 1920’s Mediterranean by Paul Williams.
In 2004 Michael launched his production company Foundation Films. To date, the company has produced in various capacities The Seat Filler, What We Do Is Secret, Bart Got A Room, and the documentary Kevorkian. Foundation Films recently finished production on Robert Williams, Mr. Bitchin’, a documentary on the California based alternative artist whose involvement in the underground comix era gave way to artists R. Crumb and S. Clay Wilson.
Through his partnership with Chef Jerry Baker, Michael has manifest the merging of many passions including food, design and alcohol alchemy. That Bar in Santa Monica, Tinga Buena in Santa Monica and Tinga on La Brea are the fortuitous results.
Michael LaFetra is also the owner and principle of Foundation; a forensic architectural consulting company and Foundation Films; a film production company.
