Oliva Restaurant Group
Tal Baum
Proprietor
Proprietor
Tal Baum
Proprietor
Born and raised in Haifa, Israel, Baum moved to Florence, Italy, at the age of 21 to study architecture at Florence University. She remained in Italy for seven years, where she mastered the language and developed an intimate knowledge of Italian cuisine. With the secrets of traditional Italian cooking under her belt and a passion for cooking passed down from her grandmother, she produced and published a cookbook entitled "Zeb."
Her culinary journey, coupled with her architecture background, inspired Baum to become a restauranteur. She wanted to create an environment around the philosophy that the hectic nature of modern life should not compromise the quality of the food we eat. She first put this to the test when she moved to Atlanta and opened Bellina Alimentari at Ponce City Market in 2015. The award-winning Italian wine bar and market is all about using fresh seasonal ingredients and supporting the local community.
Following the success of Bellina Alimentari, Tal set her sights on opening three new restaurants. In summer 2019, she returned to her roots and introduced Atlanta’s Westside to modern Israeli cuisine with Aziza. The restaurant pays homage to her childhood with fresh, exciting takes on traditional meals. Next door, she opened quick-stop falafel stand, Falafel Nation, serving up delicious to-go items including falafels using her grandmother’s recipe. She is also set to open Rina, an Israeli street food concept, in winter 2020 along the Eastside BeltLine.
As one of only three women-led restaurant groups in Atlanta, all four Oliva concepts prioritize giving back to the community and expanding culinary perspectives. While each location offers its own unique experience, guests will immediately feel Baum’s sense of style, creativity and attention to detail radiating through each location.
Her culinary journey, coupled with her architecture background, inspired Baum to become a restauranteur. She wanted to create an environment around the philosophy that the hectic nature of modern life should not compromise the quality of the food we eat. She first put this to the test when she moved to Atlanta and opened Bellina Alimentari at Ponce City Market in 2015. The award-winning Italian wine bar and market is all about using fresh seasonal ingredients and supporting the local community.
Following the success of Bellina Alimentari, Tal set her sights on opening three new restaurants. In summer 2019, she returned to her roots and introduced Atlanta’s Westside to modern Israeli cuisine with Aziza. The restaurant pays homage to her childhood with fresh, exciting takes on traditional meals. Next door, she opened quick-stop falafel stand, Falafel Nation, serving up delicious to-go items including falafels using her grandmother’s recipe. She is also set to open Rina, an Israeli street food concept, in winter 2020 along the Eastside BeltLine.
As one of only three women-led restaurant groups in Atlanta, all four Oliva concepts prioritize giving back to the community and expanding culinary perspectives. While each location offers its own unique experience, guests will immediately feel Baum’s sense of style, creativity and attention to detail radiating through each location.
Joshua Riddle
Director of Operations, Partner
Director of Operations, Partner
Joshua Riddle
Director of Operations, Partner
Christa Thompson
Systems & Training Director
Systems & Training Director
Christa Thompson
Systems & Training Director
Lauren Bishop
Controller
Controller
Lauren Bishop
Controller
Todd Immel
Culinary Director
Culinary Director
Todd Immel
Culinary Director
Akeem Peele
Assistant Culinary Director
Assistant Culinary Director
Akeem Peele
Assistant Culinary Director
Demario Wallace
Beverage Director
Beverage Director
Demario Wallace
Beverage Director
Lane Turner
District Manager
District Manager
Lane Turner
District Manager
Stephanie Cerveny
Event Coordinator
Event Coordinator
