WILLIAM BERKIS

General Manager, The Modern

William Berkis is the General Manager of The Modern and The Bar Room at The Modern. William was born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Though he is a lawyer by training, he has been a culinary enthusiast his whole life. After passing the bar exam in New York, William moved to Norway, where he made his first foray into fine dining at Maaemo, Scandinavia's first Michelin three-starred restaurant. After returning to New York in 2016, he joined Chef Frederick Berselius at Aska and Claus Meyer at Norman, where he was a Captain and Assistant General Manager. William then transitioned into the world of nightlife when he joined Jean-Marc Houmard at Acme and Indochine as General Manager. During this time, he also earned his sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers and subsequently joined The Modern as a sommelier in 2019. After departing to open Popular at the Public Hotel with John Fraser and Ian Schrager, William returned to the USHG family in October of 2021.

In his free time, William has been studying to earn his Advanced Sommelier certificate.