In true PVCL fashion, every month we spotlight an esteemed Valley culinary force. For our April Business & Investing issue, we turn the lens to the business minds behind one of Scottsdale’s newest hospitality concepts.
Sean Mulholland and Avery Johnson Jr., Cofounders of 40 Love, are not simply opening doors in Old Town, they are engineering experience. Sean is the visionary behind the brand’s DNA, blending country club elegance with nightlife energy to create a space that feels curated, elevated, and magnetic. Avery, with deep roots in NFL and NBA marketing and years representing elite athletes, brings strategic positioning, cultural fluency, and high-level network influence that extends far beyond the dining room.
Together, they identified Scottsdale as the ideal market for 40 Love’s next evolution.
Here are 21 questions and answers with the duo behind the match.
1. Where did you grow up, and how did that shape your relationship with hospitality and nightlife?
S: Originally from Ireland and moved to the United States in 2017. Hospitality has always been part of my story. My grandparents owned a pub and a pharmacy back home, and I grew up watching how those spaces became real gathering points for the community. That sense of connection and familiarity inspired me to create 40 Love. For me, it is about building places that feel personal and welcoming, while still offering a refined food, beverage, and design experience. I have carried those roots with me in shaping the brand, blending Irish hospitality with a modern, elevated approach in the U.S.
A: I grew up around professional sports culture, so excellence was the baseline. That environment shaped how I view hospitality. Preparation, discipline, performance. Every night is game night.
2. What were you doing professionally before 40 Love?
S: I have spent my career building hospitality and nightlife concepts, developing venues that combine strong culinary identity with high energy atmospheres. I have always been focused on creating rooms that feel magnetic.
A: I have worked across branding, partnerships, management, and representation. I have always gravitated toward projects that live at the intersection of sport, entertainment, and lifestyle.
3. How did you first meet, and when did you realize you worked well together?
S: We met through hospitality circles in LA and shared the same instinct. We both care about experience over ego. We spoke at length about what a space should feel like, and then realized we could come together to bring 40 Love to Scottsdale.
A: What stood out was alignment. We both believe in building atmospheres, not just venues.
4. What do you bring to the partnership?
S: I am big on vision and execution. How the space flows, how the guest moves through it, how it feels from the curb to the last cocktail. Avery brings precision, culture, and a deep understanding of brand resonance. It is a creative balance.
A: Brand clarity. Cultural instinct. I think about how something feels in the broader conversation, not just locally, but globally.
5. When did 40 Love move from an idea to something you knew had to happen?
S: When we saw how people responded to the first conversations about it. The blend of sport, social club energy, and refined dining was not being done the way we imagined it.
A: When we realized our ideas and experience could inspire a hospitality concept without being literal. That is when it felt differentiated.
6. What did you have to bet on yourselves to make this real?
S: Reputation. Capital. Relationships. You do not build something at this level halfway.
A: Vision. And patience. We wanted to build something lasting, not trendy.
7. Are either of you avid tennis players, or is the influence more cultural than literal?
S: I play tennis recreationally with friends on occasion, but the influence is more cultural. Tennis is global, stylish, competitive. It carries heritage but also modern relevance.
A: I appreciate the sport deeply. The inspiration is more about mentality than mechanics.
8. What does 40 Love represent beyond the score?
S: Match point. That decisive, high stakes moment. It is confidence.
A: Precision under pressure. Style with discipline.
9. How does the spirit of tennis show up in the rhythm and vibe of the space?
S: There is momentum as the night builds. There is energy, tension, release, like a rally.
A: There is poised elegance within the space and it is set for a great match up with the quality of food, atmosphere, and socializing all in one.
10. What did you feel was missing in Old Town before 40 Love?
S: A space that merged elevated culinary execution with a true social club atmosphere. Not just dinner. Not just nightlife. Both seamlessly.
A: A concept that felt internationally inspired but locally rooted.
11. How involved were you in shaping the design and atmosphere?
S: Extremely. We worked closely with world renowned interior architect John Sofio of Built, Inc. to bring this modern concept and character to life. Every material, every sightline, the way lighting hits a table, it all matters.
A: The space had to visually communicate our ethos immediately.
12. Favorite food and cocktail on the menu?
S: The Wagyu and a Scarlet Tempest. It is balance. Bold and refined.
A: Caviar Waffle and Love Potion No. 40. It captures playful luxury.
13. How would you define the 40 Love palate?
S: Clean flavors, premium ingredients, confident seasoning.
A: Elevated comfort. Familiar flavors executed with precision.
14. Are there menu items inspired by classic country club indulgence but reimagined?
S: Absolutely. Steak, seafood towers, caviar, but reimagined for today.
A: Yes, but modernized. We honor tradition without being stuck in it.
15. The Caviar Waffle feels playful yet elevated. Was that intentional?
S: It is one of our elevated items that guests love and it sparks conversation. We love to see that.
A: Absolutely. It is a wink.
16. How do you balance refinement and energy on the menu?
S: The food is disciplined. The room is vibrant. That contrast creates tension in the best way.
A: We do not separate them. They coexist.
17. What role does presentation play in creating that center stage moment?
S: It is center stage. When a dish lands, it should feel like an arrival.
A: It creates shareable moments, visually and socially.
18. How does the Social Lounge transition the energy without losing the culinary identity?
S: The music shifts, the lighting lowers, yet the quality of food never dips.
A: The tempo changes, but the identity stays intact.
19. What dish feels like your championship point?
S: The Wagyu steak plates. It delivers every time.
A: The Chilean Sea Bass. Understated but powerful.
20. What does it mean to build something that resonates with high level performers?
S: They understand excellence. You cannot fake it.
A: They value preparation. We operate the same way.
21. If 40 Love were a match, what kind would it be and why?
S: Five set thriller. Elegant, intense, unforgettable.
A: A championship final. Sharp, stylish, and decided with confidence.
40lovegroup.com