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A chef’s career faced turmoil after he declined to offer a complimentary meal to an influencer, leading him to sell his second establishment at a significant loss, the Daily Mail reports.
Luke Sung offloaded his San Francisco sushi restaurant Domo for far less than the $500,000-$750,000 it was worth, its manager Jesse Ibarra said.
Sung, who left Kis Cafe after informing Karla Marcotte she wasn’t prominent enough for a free meal, sold to his co-owner Bernardo Goana to ensure the restaurant was preserved. Ibarra shared that Sung prioritized the future of the raw fish restaurant over financial gain.
‘This whole thing broke his heart, but you also have to respect everyone,’ Ibarra said.
‘His decision to leave was unexpected, deeply affecting the kitchen staff who admired him. Though it was a difficult choice, it offers a chance for growth. He acknowledged his error and has expressed regret.’
Ibarra continued: ‘While I can’t speak for him, I’m aware that accepting responsibility is crucial for him. What does it mean for his future? Perhaps he’ll open another establishment elsewhere.’
Goana, also a chef at Domo, described taking over the restaurant at his friend’s expense as ‘bittersweet,’ situated a mere block from the ill-fated Kis Cafe.
Sung is now believed to have fled his hometown of San Francisco in the hopes his absence will make the drama die down faster.
Chef Luke Sung (pictured) has offloaded his second eatery at a loss, as reported by the Daily Mail. The recent events follow his decision to remove influencer Karla Marcotte from Kis Cafe due to her limited social media presence.
Sung sold his San Francisco sushi restaurant Domo (pictured) to his chef Bernardo Goana for far less than the $500,000-$750,000 it was valued at
He was nominated for the ultra-prestigious James Beard Award for chefs twice before the influencer scandal and lauded as a master of his trade.
Sung left Kis Cafe and sold the business to his partners there after the restaurant contacted Marcotte, offering her a free meal in return for a post on her TikTok account last month.
But when Marcotte got to the restaurant, which had just opened, Sung tore into her for not having enough followers to justify him giving her a freebie and threw her out.
Marcotte shared details of the ordeal on her TikTok account, which had 15,000 followers at the time but has now swollen to almost half a million.
She didn’t name Sung, but sleuths quickly worked out his identity and Kis Cafe was inundated with bad reviews.
It closed down shortly after but has since reopened under a new name, Bosque. The menu is almost identical to what was offered by Kis Cafe.
Eric Lin, Sung’s former business partner, bought Sung’s shares and is now the sole owner of Bosque.
On Thursday, Lin told the Daily Mail Sung ‘chose to leave’ and was not fired.
‘Kis was something Luke and I started together and it has a certain intimacy,’ Lin said on his decision to rename the restaurant.
Influencer Karla Marcotte, pictured, has seen her following swell from 15,000 to almost 500,000 as a result of the drama surrounding her ejection from Kis Cafe
When Marcotte got to the restaurant, which had just opened, Sung tore into her for not having enough followers to justify him giving her a freebie and threw her out
Kis Cafe has now relaunched as Bosque, pictured, and was doing a roaring trade when the Daily Mail visited on Thursday
‘We needed to keep that out in order to move on. It needed to kind of die in order to respect everyone involved.’
‘I’m taking Luke’s decision seriously and I want to honor his decision and do things right,’ Lin continued. ‘He’s still my friend. He will always be Uncle Luke to me, but in terms of the business, we have parted ways.’
Lin said he was disturbed by the torrent of hate directed at the restaurant over the scandal, much of it racist.
He said Marcotte, the influencer whose ejection sparked the outrage, is welcome back anytime.
Bosque was doing a roaring dinner trade on Thursday.
Lin smiled and warmly greeted each table of patrons, who were a mix of locals and tourists.
While the chef fired up aged hanger steaks and carefully crafted scallops with truffle and beurre noisette, customers whispered about Bosque’s sudden launch.
Some of the diners had even come especially after hearing of the scandal surrounding Sung and Marcotte
John O’Connor (pictured with his wife) came to Bosque on hearing of its notoriety and said he was impressed by its food
Some of the dishes on offer at Bosque. Its menu remains largely-unchanged from that of its short-lived predecessor Kis Cafe
Domo manager Jesse Ibarra broke the news that Sung had sold the business last Thursday
‘Are you kidding me? That’s why we are here,’ said John O’Connor, who was enjoying his dinner with his wife. ‘We have been joking about this place for a while now because I read the transcripts of what happened.
‘I think [Sung] had an off night and he was terrible to her [Marcotte], but now it’s too little too late. It looked like he was being a bully. You have to realize that we live in a world where you have to be aware and watch what you say to anybody. But frankly, the food here is phenomenal and we want it to survive and thrive.’
Sadly, the Sung family is not getting to enjoy the buzz surrounding the food originally created by the canceled chef.
Sung’s musician son and fashion influencer daughter Isa have both been relentlessly trolled online over the scandal.
The chef told the San Francisco Standard that he is scheduling family therapy to try and help them all through the ordeal.
When a reporter knocked on their door Thursday, a woman believed to be Sung’s wife opened it, then slammed it shut on being asked about the scandal.
Apologizing to Marcotte earlier this month, Sung said: ‘Karla — I am truly sorry for my actions towards you,’ the chef stated. ‘I was condescending, hurtful, and intimidating. You did not deserve to be made fell less then or unimportant.’
‘Everything is broken into pieces,’ the chef said. ‘I have to try to pick it up and glue it back together. I have to just let it heal.’
