When Toca Madera founder Tosh Berman launched the flagship location of his high-end organic Mexican restaurant in West Hollywood in 2014, he envisioned a dining experience that took the concept of “dinner and a show” to new heights.
“The thing that was really unique about Toca Madera when we opened was that it was the first venue to bridge the gap between the traditional fine dining experience and the theatrical experience,” Berman recalled. “We deemed it ‘high-energy fine dining.'”
That “high-energy” experience called for cuisine in a club-like atmosphere, with elements like state-of-the-art sound systems that bump mixes created by music producers, sees live musicians play over the shoulder of guests as they moved throughout the venue and witnesses performances by fire-breathers and dancers.
“We wanted all the experiential touch points that captivated the senses,” Berman said. “It was a precursor to the great dining experiences you see now throughout L.A.”
Now, after success with Toca Madera’s second location in Scottsdale, Ariz., Berman and his business partner Mikey Tanha have formed Noble 33, a new hospitality group that will focus heavily on the expansion of Toca Madera into new markets.
“We’re accelerating because there’s so much opportunity here,” Berman explained. “We want to see the true potential of where these concepts can go.”
A Las Vegas location of Toca Madera will open in next spring, with construction kicking off in October, while a fourth restaurant is slated for fall 2022 in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The locations will lean even more deeply into those immersive, experiential elements that Berman believes have been one of the driving forces behind Toca Madera’s success, particularly in Scottsdale.
“That new design and that new experience is really what we’re going to showcase in the next generation of our expansions.” Berman said. Tentative plans for restaurants in Miami and New York City are on the books as well, he added.
The expansion of the Madera concept also includes the new Casa Madera, a Tulum beach club-esque restaurant and lounge that also will serve Mexican cuisine, with “French technique and Japanese precision,” according to Berman. One location is slated for West Hollywood’s Mondrian Hotel, while another is on track to open in October at the 1 Hotel in Toronto. A third outpost will open in 2022 in Miami.
“That’s the other brand we’re really focusing on in terms of growth and development,” Berman said.
Further downmarket, Noble 33 is considering building out locations of Madera, a casual concept with a sole outpost at the Treehouse Hotel London. Beyond Madera, it also will be taking over food and beverage operations for Hotel Figureoa, where it recently opened La Casita and will soon launch a pool club called Driftwood. Another fine dining concept, Sparrow, is slated to open there in about a month.
