RUMBA proprietor and Rooted Hospitality Group restaurateur and co-founder David Hersh has a particular fondness for Jamaica; he even honeymooned there with his wife, Rachel Hersh, who is also the company’s co-founder.
“The country is beautiful, a lot of waterfalls; it’s so lush and green,” he said to Great South Bay News in his Center Moriches office.
There were also other ties.
“We’ve had a couple of students from Jamaica work with us over the summers at RUMBA and Cowfish, also Fauna and Flora in Westhampton. We have a prep cook and about five other full-time employees from Jamaica,” Hersh added.
So, when Hurricane Melissa hit on October 28, with epic 185 mph winds that left much of the island without power, displaced thousands, and wrecked infrastructure across the western and southern parts of the island, Hersh and his company organized RUMBA locations in Patchogue (formerly RHUM), Hampton Bays, and Metairie, Louisiana, for their Nov. 14 Jamaica relief effort, Party with a Purpose.
There was live music, DJs, and specialty drinks. A portion of all sales was donated to the Jamaica Relief Fund. The event was blasted out via social media, and about $5,000 was raised, Hersh said.
“Most of the money came from the restaurant sales,” he said. The money will go directly to the families affected within the Rooted organization.
But that’s not the only cause the company has supported. They’ve also collaborated with nearby Smile Farms, an independent group home in Moriches that creates meaningful employment, vocational and educational opportunities for people with disabilities in agriculture and hospitality, as well as with Dress for Success, Quogue Wildlife Refuge, New York Marine Rescue Center’s Run for the Ridley, and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE).
And Jamaica isn’t the only island receiving its largesse. Last year, company employees pitched in with Operation Amor and Catholic Relief Services (CRC) to help build a cafeteria in San Pedro Sula, Honduras—one that offers nutritious food and serves as a community hub.
“We brought Christmas gifts to 500 kids there; people walked seven miles for them,” Hersh recalled. “We also fed them for the day. The whole team came.”
Besides great food and drinks, Hersh’s establishments make you want to plop a flower behind your ear and switch that black clothing for bright, tropical fashions. The restaurants are bright, airy, and fun.
Patchogue’s RUMBA Island Inspired Cuisine & Rum Bar, with its ground-floor doors open during summer days and nights, has a vibrant atmosphere that spills out.
Hersh bought the building, renovated it, and opened the restaurant in 2016 as Patchogue Village’s first rooftop dining space. Nearly 10 years later, it was recently renovated again.
“We remodeled all three floors; the third floor is completely enclosed. It’s colorful with a lot of plants,” he said.
Rooted Hospitality Group manages eight restaurants, including RUMBA and Cowfish in Hampton Bays, RUMBA Patchogue, Fauna and Flora in Westhampton, AVO TACO in New Hyde Park, Bayside, and New Orleans, as well as RUMBA in Metairie, L.A.
“It’s a little over 400 employees,” Hersh stated. “An important part of being in business is that you should give back.”
That philosophy is reflected in his headquarters. In 2020, he moved offices from Patchogue’s Main Street to 376 Main Street in Center Moriches (he grew up there and lives nearby), where marketing, human resources, accounting, customer service, and conference rooms are painted in beautiful hues like garnet and teal, accented with plants and artwork. Rachel works alongside him, and all the offices have a neat, happy appearance. There is even a covered back porch with kitchen facilities and a hammock. Upstairs, there is a bar area.
You would want to work here.
Beautiful photos of old trees with large, extensive roots, a nod to their mission, grace the second-floor walls, and a vast, gorgeous mural with the same theme exists on the back building facade. They represent the company’s mission: extending hospitality to the communities where they are rooted and operate, providing the best meals and drinks they can, and serving a positive presence.
Patchogue Business Improvement District Management Association (PDMA) executive director David Kennedy, a former Patchogue Chamber executive director, has worked with Hersh since he first set his sights on establishing RHUM in the village.
“I find him to be a great community partner,” Kennedy said. “He always participates in restaurant committee meetings and in planning events.”
Kennedy brought the Restaurant Committee to the finish line; he served as chamber president for 20 years before segueing to the BID last year.
“Dave would give us his space for chamber or other meetings,” Kennedy continued. “What he’s done in his rooftop space is one of the greatest hospitality assets in the village. He’s very well-known and respected in the industry—even outside Long Island—and it’s to our benefit.”
