Early Career

Prior to co-founding The Madera Group, Berman was behind the wildly successful and internationally acclaimed AV Nightclub in Hollywood, a frequent hangout for A-list celebrities, as well as acclaimed nightlife destinations, CAKE Scottsdale and CAKE San Diego.  

Berman’s hospitality career included owning and operating restaurants and nightclubs in Denver, CO and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He started his career working entry level positions from dishwasher to barback, busser, waiter, bartender, bar manager, general manager to finally opening his own venue at the age of 23 in Denver.

Career Highlights

In 2013, Berman co-founded The Madera Group, which owns a portfolio of hospitality concepts in the fresh-casual and social dining space.  After living in Mexico for six years, Berman discovered a stark gap in the LA food market - a concept that embodied the true essence of Mexican cuisine, which is incredibly healthy, simple, and fresh. To fill it, and re-educate the public on the cuisine, he co-founded LA restaurant Toca Madera in 2014, which translates to “knock on wood” in Spanish. Designed by Berman, and boasting a modern organic aesthetic, Toca Madera quickly became a favorite destination for dining and craft cocktails.

In 2016, The Madera Group launched Tocaya Organica, a fresh-casual eatery that features a menu of tacos, salads, bowls, and burritos made with organic produce, hormone-free meat and sustainable seafood with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. Tocaya Organica includes 18 locations in LA, San Diego and Arizona, and has recently merged with Tender Greens to form One Table Restaurant Brands.

Most recently, Berman and his business partner Mikey Tanha co-founded their new company Noble 33, a hospitality and lifestyle company with an ever-evolving lineup of unique, social dining restaurants stateside and abroad, Noble 33 leads the management and continued expansion of iconic brands Toca Madera and Casa Madera, while also developing brand new concepts such as Sparrow that will further expand the boundaries of high-energy fine-dining. Future targets for new locations include West Hollywood, Las Vegas, Toronto, London, New York, and Miami.

PERSONAL

Berman grew up in Santa Barbara, went to boarding school in Colorado and was a member of the U.S. Ski Team. He attended Hebrew University in Jerusalem and also studied at the University of Colorado.