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Ever since he could remember, Paul Berkman, the owner of Rutabegorz Restaurants, relished eating out. As many people, dining out was a part of his daily routine. For Paul, the dining experience was best when it involved the community. People you knew, people you were about to meet, and people who simply added to robust atmosphere of a bustling cafe were the elements that attracted Paul most.
It is not surprising then to know that Paul's first forms of employment were working at restaurants in Los Angeles where he served and bussed tables. All the while, Paul had a dream to start his own restaurant, one with a personally unique theme and style.
It was not until his college days in Fullerton, Orange County that this theme began to take shape. Paul and four of his college friends began to think about opening their own cafe. With the financial backing of a mere $4000 among the five of them, the students rented out a space near the Old Town of Fullerton and opened a coffee house that mirrored a Bohemian Café, serving homemade soup and cheesecake.
Also, new to almost everyone in the early 1970's was the concept of drinking espresso. Now a popular drink throughout the United States, Paul felt especially glad to have been one of the first to introduce the drink to Orange Countians. Providing this novelty drink was not without a personal sacrifice though. Paul had to sell his Volkswagon Bus to finance a new espresso machine.
Paul and his friends hoped that the cafe might cater to a more pensive crowd of college students looking for a comfortable place to mingle. In its first years of existence, Fullerton Rutabegorz, locally dubbed as "Rutas", became a popular place to visit among college students and locals. Beyond the function of a cafe, Paul and his friends encouraged students and other locals to set up mini concerts in the cafe. Local artists and students would also use the cafe to showcase their artwork.
In 1974, only a few years after opening, Paul and his friends were nearly forced to close their doors. The telephone company wanted to tear down Rutabegorz to accommodate the expansion of its service center. Paul and his friends rallied the local community, protests were held, and after a court battle, the utility acquiesced and the property was sold to the restaurant.
With little to no managing experience Paul recalls those early days as an invaluable learning experience. "It has been a lot of hard work. Many of the people who helped start the restaurant tired quickly when the fun turned to work." In the early days, most of the pricing decisions were made on an emotional basis, without consideration of the business's needs. "We would ask ourselves how much someone would want to pay for a cup of coffee and set the price accordingly without considering the cost."
Developing his business sense, Paul opened two other branches in Tustin and one in Irvine. The Tustin branch is located in Old Town Tustin on Main St. and is celebrating its 30th year serving the Tustin community. Paul was awarded a proclamation from the city council for the contribution Rutabegorz has made over the past years through the rough redevelopment periods and sparse business climates. The Irvine location opened in 1992 and unfortunately closed in 1998. In late 2001, Paul opened his fourth branch in the Historic District of Orange - Old Towne Orange.
The Orange location is one block south of Chapman University on Glassell. Built in 1915, the house was originally home to Annie and Daniel Crawford, who were early citrus ranchers. The Orange location offers inside and patio dining.
Today, Paul lives in Orange County and remains a restaurant visionary with aspirations beyond his three successful restaurants. Having witnessed vast changes in the design of the county throughout the years, Paul hopes to remain a strong independent voice through his enterprises. | 
