Internet star: “The environment is like the Hunger Games” – Serious allegations against Salt Bay

Nusret Gokce has become world famous for his method of salting steaks. Salt Bae, as he’s also known, has restaurants on three continents and often travels from establishment to establishment demonstrating his extravagant salting technique to delighted guests. “Meanwhile, he became the living embodiment of a meme,” describes Business Insider. Ex-employees who paint a different picture of the internet star have their say on the news portal.

From the outside it looks like gold. But it’s rubbish on the inside,” says a former employee. In an article published by Business Insider, former waiters, bartenders, and hosts, including managers and head bartenders, brought numerous allegations against the star from the Internet.

“sleep on tablecloths”

A former employee compares the environment to the Hunger Games. You are never sure if you will be fired before the end of the shift. if In the restaurant There was a lull, so the staff were actually asked to queue in front of the restaurant – to give the impression that there was a lot going on.

It is also said that Gökçe used its restaurants as a home. He is said to have asked staff in Mykonos and Dubai for massages. “If he was feeling particularly tired, he would sleep in the restaurant. One employee said he fell asleep several times on tablecloths.” They weren’t sure if they could walk before he woke up.

Accusations of a climate of fear are not new. Former employees have sued Salt Bae several times. You describe an “aggressive management style”. Gökce often berates and blames employees for mistakes made by their colleagues.

Tricks

There are also accusations that the luxury displayed in the pubs is not authentic. “Everything from napkins to glasses was very cheap,” said a former waiter. One employee reported that she had to pay for and maintain the school uniform herself.

There should have been other tricks. If customers left wine in a purchased bottle, sommeliers were said to be instructed to resell it in glasses. When retailers brought wine samples, which were usually free, sommeliers were supposed to sell them to customers instead. A waitress in Dubai told Business Insider that she was asked to tell customers that a steak hundreds of dollars more expensive than another was of better quality — even though it came from the same cut of meat.

The employee asked to leave

A former employee from Dubai says one of her colleagues was forced to pay 3,000 dirhams (about 730 francs) because her table was left unpaid. And it was clearly not her fault. “I don’t think that’s fair,” she said. “The restaurant is very rich. She is very rich and they let her pay.”

Here’s what he says about the allegations

Gökçe has the same on the many allegations not expressed. However, a lawyer representing Salt Bae and its companies says, “The allegations are in fact nothing more than a repeat of old disputes in which the allegations were disputed and settled long ago.” Unfortunately, there are times when high-profile restaurants and celebrity chefs become the targets of unsubstantiated and vulgar claims.