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Chef apologises after influencer clash shuts down San Francisco restaurant
Chef apologises after influencer clash shuts down San Francisco restaurant

Express Tribune

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Express Tribune

Chef apologises after influencer clash shuts down San Francisco restaurant

San Francisco chef Luke Sung has issued a public apology following a viral incident that led to the closure of Kis Cafe. The controversy erupted after a TikTok influencer, known as @ItsKarlaBB, accused Sung of insulting her during a visit to the restaurant for a planned promotional dinner. In her emotional video, which has now amassed more than 20 million views, the influencer claimed Sung dismissed her content and mocked her follower count, which stood at 15,000 at the time. She said the chef told her that her audience wasn't the kind of clientele he wanted at his restaurant and suggested they wouldn't be able to afford the food. Since the incident, her follower count has skyrocketed to over 350,000. @itskarlabb its a long video and not something i would normally upload but i feel like i had to talk about this experience. i basically ran out of there but i wish i would've stood up for myself. if you are a micro influencer i know it's easy to feel discouraged at times but don't let anyone make you feel small or unimportant!! ♬ original sound - itskarlabb The influencer also said Sung scrolled briefly through her page before declaring that her videos weren't good enough to represent Kis Cafe. He allegedly boasted about his own accolades, mentioning a James Beard award, and brought up his daughter's social media following, saying she had 600,000 followers, far more than Karla. 'He basically told me I wasn't on her level,' she said in the video. Sung's apology, posted on Kis Cafe's Instagram, admitted that he had been 'condescending, hurtful, and intimidating.' He added that he had apologised privately to Karla before stepping away from the restaurant completely. 'There are no excuses. I've decided to step away from Kis Cafe permanently,' he wrote. Kis Cafe, which opened just a few months ago, confirmed Sung was no longer associated with the restaurant. On Saturday, it announced its permanent closure, thanking the local community for its support. Yelp and Google have since been flooded with one-star reviews for both Kis Cafe and Sung's previous restaurant, Isa.

San Francisco chef loses everything after telling influencer she wasn't famous enough to get a free dinner
San Francisco chef loses everything after telling influencer she wasn't famous enough to get a free dinner

Daily Mail​

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mail​

San Francisco chef loses everything after telling influencer she wasn't famous enough to get a free dinner

The San Francisco chef who got fired for telling a TikToker she was not famous enough to eat for free at his restaurant has lost everything. Luke Sung was outed last week as the chef at Kis Cafe who turned 'micro influencer' @itskarlabb away from an event at the restaurant because she didn't have enough followers. Not only was Sung fired over the incident, but now the restaurant has announced its permanent closure due to the ongoing drama and public backlash. It all started when Karla Marcotte posted a TikTok detailing her visit to Kis Cafe. She said she was left 'shaking' after being invited to a collaboration with the Bay Area wine bar. According to Marcotte, she expected to receive a free meal for her and her husband in exchange for posting a video about the restaurant on her channel – which, at the time, had 15,000 followers. However, after arriving at the restaurant, award–winning chef Sung questioned why Marcotte had been invited. In the video, which now has over 21 million views, Marcotte began, 'I just left a restaurant collaboration crying.' She explained that she had a TikTok collaboration with the new restaurant, located in Hayes Valley, that she was 'really excited for.' Marcotte arrived alone, as her husband was meeting her there later, and she spoke with the host before beginning to film around the restaurant. However, when she took her seat, she overheard a conversation between Sung and the host in which the chef was dissing her follower count, according to Marcotte. 'He is not having it,' Marcotte said – describing how the chef slammed the host for inviting her to the restaurant. 'This is Kis Cafe in Hayes Valley SF. The owner is Luke Sung. He also founded the restaurant Isa. Both restaurants named after his influencer kids, Isa Sung and Sunkis.' Once Sung and Marcotte were introduced, he confronted her about not having enough followers, and said her audience is not the kind of people he wants at his restaurant, which Marcotte interpreted to mean that he doesn't think her fans could afford to eat there. Sung then began to brag about his own accolades, and flexed his daughter's follower count – saying that Marcotte is not 'at that level.' After her husband arrived, Marcotte left without eating at the restaurant and went on to post the TikTok – without specifically naming the restaurant or the chef. However, TikTok sleuths were quickly able to figure out that the restaurant in question was Kis Cafe, and that chef was Sung. In the aftermath of her viral video, Yelp and Google reviews of Kis Cafe and Sung's former restaurant Isa have been flooded with one–star reviews. Multiple celebrities commented on Marcotte's video in support of the micro influencer. 'I'm so sorry queen. He spoke it into existence tho! We your audience will never ever be dining at Kis Cafe,' Alex Cooper of the Call Her Daddy podcast commented. 'Love how badly this has gone for them,' wrote Jameela Jamil. On Sunday, Sung issued a public apology. 'Hi everyone – I am Luke Sung (previous chef of Kis Cafe). 'It was important for me to first apologize to Karla privately and step away from Kis Cafe before publicly apologizing.' 'Karla – I am truly sorry for my actions towards you. I was condescending, hurtful, and intimidating. You did not deserve to be made feel less then or unimportant,' he wrote. The apology was posted on the Kis Cafe Instagram account, because Sung has no public social media pages. Though, the restaurant specified in the caption that he is 'no longer affiliated with the restaurant in any way or a co–owner.' 'I also want to be clear the responsibility of this whole situation is mine alone and my behavior should not be a reflection on anyone else who works there, or anyone who is related to me,' Sung wrote. 'I truly care about my staff and am devastated that my actions have impacted both them and their families.' Sung also addressed his staff and family – especially his daughter, who he dragged into the situation by touting her follower count.. 'I am sorry I put you in this position,' he wrote. 'I've failed you in the worst way.' On Saturday, Kis Cafe announced it had been 'a pleasure serving our neighbors and community,' but that 'tonight is our last night.' The restaurant has closed, permanently.

‘I've failed you': S.F. chef apologizes after viral clash with influencer
‘I've failed you': S.F. chef apologizes after viral clash with influencer

San Francisco Chronicle​

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • San Francisco Chronicle​

‘I've failed you': S.F. chef apologizes after viral clash with influencer

The San Francisco chef at the center of a viral social media controversy issued a public apology Sunday for a recent incident involving a TikTok influencer. Meanwhile, the restaurant in the dustup, Kis Cafe in Hayes Valley, announced its last night of service was Saturday and that it is now permanently closed, according to its Instagram account. Luke Sung was ousted as chef and co-owner of Kis Cafe last week after he drew widespread online condemnation for his treatment of a food influencer identified as @ItsKarlaBB. The incident is the latest to highlight the fraught relationship between restaurants and influencers, who can help promote them — or, in this case, close them. 'Hi everyone — I am Luke Sung,' began the apology posted to Kis Cafe's Instagram page. 'It was important for me to first apologize to Karla privately and step away from Kis Cafe before publicly apologizing.' Sung acknowledged being 'condescending, hurtful, and intimidating' to the influencer during her visit for a planned promotional dinner. @itskarlabb its a long video and not something i would normally upload but i feel like i had to talk about this experience. i basically ran out of there but i wish i would've stood up for myself. if you are a micro influencer i know it's easy to feel discouraged at times but don't let anyone make you feel small or unimportant!! ♬ original sound - itskarlabb Her emotional account of the encounter — shared Wednesday in a TikTok video that has since amassed over 20 million views — accused Sung of belittling her content and follower count, which stood at 15,000 at the time. That number has since surged past 350,000. According to the influencer, after briefly glancing through her TikTok profile, the chef dismissed her work. 'After scrolling, like, two times, he says to me that he doesn't think my videos are at the level at which he wants his restaurant represented,' she said in her video. He then criticized her audience, she said. 'He goes on to say that my audience and my followers are not the kind of people that are going to be at his restaurant,' she said. 'It seemed like he was insinuating that my followers would not be able to afford to eat at this restaurant.' The encounter escalated further when Sung asked if she knew who he was. She said she didn't. 'He says he's a James Beard Award recipient or finalist or something, and I'm like 'great, like, I don't know what to say to that,'' she said. Sung reportedly followed by citing his daughter's online presence, telling the influencer that she wasn't on the same level as his daughter, Isabelle 'Isa' Sung, who he said had 600,000 TikTok followers. 'I told him I felt disrespected and didn't want to collaborate anymore,' she said in her video. In his apology, Luke Sung stated, 'There are no excuses to be made. I've decided it's time for me to step away from Kis Cafe permanently and in all capacities.' The fallout has been swift. Kis Cafe, which opened in May, initially apologized on Thursday and confirmed Sung was no longer affiliated in 'any way.' 'I also want to be clear the responsibility of this whole situation is mine alone and my behavior should not be a reflection on anyone else who works there, or anyone who is related to me,' Sung wrote. 'I truly care about my staff and am devastated that my actions have impacted both them and their families.' Yelp and Google reviews of both Kis Cafe and Sung's former restaurant Isa, in the Marina District, have been inundated with one-star ratings. Sung also addressed his staff and family, notably his daughter. 'I am sorry I put you in this position,' he wrote. 'I've failed you in the worst way.'

Chef fired after making ‘micro' influencer cry over follower count
Chef fired after making ‘micro' influencer cry over follower count

News.com.au

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • News.com.au

Chef fired after making ‘micro' influencer cry over follower count

A 'prominent' US chef who refused to give an influencer a free meal because she didn't have enough followers, resulting in her leaving the venue in floods of tears, has reportedly lost his job. Luke Sung has stepped away from the recently opened Kis Cafe in San Francisco after he made a 'micro' food vlogger known as @itskarlabb cry. The furore began when Karla visited the restaurant on Wednesday as part of a prearranged partnership with the cafe's team which would see her get a free meal in exchange for a video. After showing up early to film content, Karla claimed that a man – later identified as the celebrated chef and co-owner – questioned her 15,000-follower count and told staff it was a 'mistake' to invite an influencer so small. Karla said the clash was 'extremely belittling' and as a result, she left the Kis Cafe in tears, later taking to TikTok to share her experience. Her video has since clocked up over 20 million views to date, sparking an avalanche of outrage against Sung, and reportedly seen him walk away from the venture. His co-owner, who has asked not to be identified due to countless phone and online threats, told NBC Bay Area the cafe was 'temporarily closed' as it figured out its next steps. 'When we're ready, we will restart differently, separate from chef,' the co-owner told the local outlet. 'This way my staff can also continue their livelihoods.' The restaurant, which only opened in May, also blasted Sung's alleged behaviour, labelling it 'unacceptable' in a statement shared on social media. 'He is no longer part of the team as a co-owner, a chef, or in any other way,' it read. 'That behaviour does not reflect the remainder of our team. We want to create a space that's welcoming and respectful to everyone. In this instance, we failed to do so.' Karla, who now has almost 370,000 followers following the furore, said she had overheard the chef discrediting her work while she was sat waiting for her husband to arrive. 'He was saying I had too little followers,' Karla recalled in her video. 'I am turning red because I am so embarrassed, and I feel really disrespected.' The influencer said that when she introduced herself, Sung grilled her over whether she had researched the wine bar. She insisted she knew the menu and the vibe, but said Sung disagreed and began scrolling through her TikTok feed at full volume within earshot. 'After scrolling like, two times, he says to me that he doesn't think my videos are at the level which he wants his restaurant represented,' she recalled. 'It seemed like he was insinuating that my followers would not be able to afford to eat at this restaurant.' Sung then reportedly asked, 'Do you know who I am?' and told Karla he was a two-time James Beard Award finalist and that his daughter is Big Apple vlogger, Isa Sung, who has 600,000 TikTok followers. He also dismissed the influencer's cooking videos she posted to her platform, dissing them as 'homey,' Karla said. The belittling exchange left her in tears, she said. 'I told him I felt disrespected and didn't want to collaborate anymore.' Since skyrocketing to viral fame, Karla said she wants to 'be an advocate for micro influencers' who don't receive as many handouts. 'You don't need to have a million followers to be respected or feel like you're making a difference,' she explained. The fallout for Kis Cafe has been huge, as social media users rushed to support Karla by flooding it with negative reviews. 'Well, he was right about one thing, your followers are not going to be eating at his restaurant,' one joked. 'Love how badly this has gone for them,' said another.

Cooked: Celebrated Chef exits new venture after allegedly balking at free food for influencer because she wasn't famous enough
Cooked: Celebrated Chef exits new venture after allegedly balking at free food for influencer because she wasn't famous enough

New York Post

time3 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • New York Post

Cooked: Celebrated Chef exits new venture after allegedly balking at free food for influencer because she wasn't famous enough

A prominent San Francisco chef threw in the apron at his newly opened cafe after allegedly belittling a TikTok influencer during a tense exchange over her follower count aired out in a viral video. The incident unfolded Wednesday at Kis Cafe in Hayes Valley, when 'micro-influencer' @itskarlabb described how she had pre-arranged a collab with the restaurant's team and showed up early to film content, according to a video she posted to her platform. 3 Influencer @itskarlabb was allegedly belittled by top chef Luke Sung over her supposedly low follower count, leaving her running from his new California restaurant in tears. itskarlabb/tiktok The influencer, known as Karla, claimed that a man — later identified as celebrated James Beard Award-nominated chef and co-owner Luke Sung — questioned her 15,000-follower count and told staff it was a 'mistake' to invite an influencer so small. 'I know they're talking about me, because I can hear them saying 'TikTok, views, followers' ,' she said in a later video, which has racked up more than 20 million views. The influencer said that when she introduced herself, Sung grilled her over whether she had researched the restaurant, a wine bar serving small bites. She insisted she knew the menu and the vibe, but Sung disagreed and began scrolling through her TikTok feed at full volume within earshot, the influencer said. 'After scrolling like, two times, he says to me that he doesn't think my videos are at the level which he wants his restaurant represented,' she recalled. 'It seemed like he was insinuating that my followers would not be able to afford to eat at this restaurant.' 3 Sung couldn't take the heat after the pair's alleged exchange went viral and left his new venture. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images Sung then reportedly asked, 'Do you know who I am?' and told Karla he was a two-time James Beard Award finalist and that his daughter is Big Apple vlogger, Isa Sung, who has 600,000 TikTok followers. He also dismissed the influencer's cooking videos she posted to her platform, dissing them as 'homey,' Karla said. The belittling exchange left her in tears, she said. 'I told him I felt disrespected and didn't want to collaborate anymore,' the influencer said. Karla's follower count has since skyrocketed to more than 350,000 since she shared the story on TikTok. The influencer said she wants to 'be an advocate for micro influencers' who don't receive as many handouts. 'You don't need to have a million followers to be respected or feel like you're making a difference,' she said. 3 Kis Cafe, which opened in May, announced that Sung had left as chef and co-owner. FOX By Friday, Kis Cafe's was getting cooked on Yelp, where its rating plunged from four to five stars to just over two stars, and reviews for 'Isa '– a 'pioneering' Cal-French restaurant that Sung previously opened and named after his influencer daughter — grew with haters lambasting the chef for his behavior. Kis Cafe, which opened in May, soon announced that Sung had left as a chef and co-owner, later clarifying he had done so of his 'own accord' and was not technically fired. 'Our chef's behavior was unacceptable, and he is no longer a part of the team,' Kis Cafe wrote in an Instagram post Thursday. The restaurant said it has now temporarily closed to 'restructure.' 'We want to create a space that's welcoming and respectful to everyone. In this instance, we failed to do so,' Kis Cafe said in a statement.

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