Tosh Berman Reveals the Many Layers of CAKE Nightclub

CAKE Nightclub is the hottest new 21+ club in Downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp district. Since it opened in July, CAKE has made its way into the heart of the San Diego nightlife scene, hosting high class events like their upcoming inclusion in the San Diego Zombie Crawl. With high-tech displays, acrobatic bottle service and music that’ll make your heart thump in your chest, it’s no wonder everyone wants a slice of CAKE. 

I sat down with Tosh Berman, co-owner of CAKE Nightclub’s San Diego and Scottsdale locations, to uncover the secret to CAKE’s success.

CAKE Nightclub

755 5th Ave - Downtown San Diego | reservations: cakenightclub.com

Q: CAKE Nightclub in Scottsdale was so successful that you decided to bring CAKE to San Diego. What drew you to the nightclub business and what have you attributed to your success? 

A: I’ve always loved hospitality. I started at the very bottom as a dishwasher. From there, I continued to climb the ranks up to a General Manager. I think this is one thing that allows us to have such a great family working environment at CAKE. The staff knows that even though I am an owner, I have been where each of them are, and know the trials that they experience as an employee. I think it gives them a different perspective on a job that has a very high turnover, and is very transient as most people in the nightclub industry use it as a transitional job before finding a career. For someone that loves hospitality, they can hear my story and recognize that hard work and persistence can result in turning a dishwasher position into a multimillion dollar business. 

Q: How are you settling in to San Diego? Have you faced any obstacles unique to our city?

A: I have always loved San Diego even before I was in the hospitality business. When my business partner Amrou Manaseer and I decided to expand the brand, we were very particular on choosing a city that we felt best fit our concept and add to the nightlife landscape. San Diego (Gaslamp) was the right fit for multiple reasons including regional proximity to our corporate office, tourism, local demographics and a position in the market not yet filled by our concept.

Q: You just had your Fashion Week Afterparty. How did that go? Is the response meeting your expectations?

A: It was one of the best parties I have ever seen. We aim to have a sophisticated audience so doing an official fashion week after party was the perfect fit.  The response far exceeded our expectations.

Q: What kind of music do you play on Friday and Saturday nights? What kind of cover charge do you implement?

A: Both nights have similar music concepts, which is an open format. We do not implement a cover charge, but accept guest  list and table reservation requests.