California Restaurant Brands Tocaya and Tender Greens Team Up
Two of California’s most beloved restaurant brands are teaming up for something special. Tocaya and Tender Greens have joined forces
Ivy Griffith
Two of California’s most beloved restaurant brands are teaming up for something special. Tocaya and Tender Greens have joined forces for something new: One Table Restaurant Brands. OTRB is a brand new holding company that will run 45 locations across California and Arizona, under the guidance of one of the most capable teams in the dining industry.
One Table Restaurant Brand
Tender Greens and Tocaya announced Tuesday that the chains would be merging and creating OTRB, with executives from former parent group The Madera Group helming the new company. Between the two food chains, there are 45 locations now under the steady hand of the OTRB brand.
Here are some of the executives taking charge of the new company:
- President and CFO: Lisa O’Connor, former CFO for Tender Greens.
- COO: Rudy Suguetti, former CFO of The Madera Group.
- CMO: Matt Smith, former marketing chief for Madera Group.
- Executive chair: Harald Herrmann, former CEO of Yard House and Mendocino Farms.
Both chains are known for their locally sourced, chef-created menus and personalized plating options. Tocaya is a twist on a modern Mexican restaurant and includes vegetarian and vegan-friendly options, despite the meat protein rich traditional dishes they offer a fun interpretation of. Tender Greens grows their own vegetables and offers an ever-changing variety of top-quality menu items.
President of the new company, O’Connor, explained that the two chains felt like natural siblings. Per NRN, “It wasn’t a forced idea. It was such a natural combination that we were so excited that we were able to make it work.”
Tender Greens
The idea for Tender Greens came to life when co-founder Erik Oberholtzer decided in 2006 to change the way people interact with food, and the way they eat. Tender Greens is at the forefront of a new casual and quick dining movement with food that is good for you and elevates your mood, instead of just filling you up – although generous portion sizes do that, as well.
Oberholtzer started somewhat of a food revolution as he brought locally-sourced, chef-made food to the fast-casual dining scene, and now Tender Green operates 27 locations across California.
Tocaya
Tocaya took flight in 2016 when founder Tosh Berman created Tocaya Modern Mexican in Los Angeles. Like Tender Greens, Tocaya was created to revolutionize the way people access fast-casual dining. The name of the game for Tocaya is “fresh,” both the food and the concepts, along with the music which is hand-picked to give each restaurant the perfect vibe.
Berman wanted each restaurant to feel specially curated for each guest, and fuel the mind, body, and spirit all at once. Dining at Tocaya is an experience that transcends filling your tummy; it helps you fill the tank of your soul as well. Tocaya operates 18 restaurants across California and Arizona.
CFO of Tocaya Mikey Tanha shared his feelings about the merger on Instagram: “We officially announced today that Tocaya has merged with Tender Greens to form an unstoppable force in the fresh-casual space “One Table Restaurant Brands.” Overnight the company has gone from 18 to 45 stores and looks to continue to grow nationally.
Congratulations to our entire team, especially my best friend and business partner @toshberman. More amazing things to come!!!
And congrats to co-founder and dear friend @rue. It’s been a long time coming.”
Berman merely shared an image on his Instagram with both brand logos together, but it’s clear that the company is ecstatic about this new opportunity. It’s a wonderful place for both teams to be. Many restaurants didn’t even make it through the rough past year, but Tocaya and Tender Greens have managed to continue to serve their guests with top-quality, peerless service and food and now that they’ve made it to the other side, they get to celebrate this massive team-up. It sets the new company up for a “sky’s the limit” future.