Salt Bae’s former employees accuse restaurateur of tip theft and discrimination in string of lawsuits

The Instagram-famous chef Salt Bae has been accused by former employees of tip theft, discrimination, and fostering a “hypermasculine” work culture across his many restaurants.

Nusret Gökçe, better known as Salt Bae, became an internet meme in 2017 when a viral video showed him sprinkling salt on a piece of meat. The Turkish butcher has since amassed a net worth of $70 million with 22 steakhouses around the world. But in a new report from Insider, nine ex-employees and seven lawsuits have accused Gökçe of wage theft, discrimination, labour violations, and an aggressive workplace environment.

One former bartender at Gökçe’s Nusr-Et restaurant in London said the establishment looks “gold from the outside” but “shit from inside”, while another former bartender at his Mykonos restaurant compared Gökçe to a “dictator”. Another ex-bartender at the London steakhouse compared the work environment to The Hunger Games because staff never knew whether they would be fired during their shift.

“His world was nothing but Instagram and fame,” a former manager told Insider. “The sensation was him. He ended up getting this godlike complex.”

Several lawsuits across two cities have also described Gökçe’s “aggressive managerial style” – including an August 2021 lawsuit filed by five former grillers at Nusr-Et New York which claimed that he “frequently cursed at employees”.

Four ex-employees also alleged in a complaint that they had tips withheld and were terminated when they complained. Gökçe settled the lawsuit in October 2019 for $230,000.

That same year, another former server from the New York restaurant alleged in a class-action suit that Gökçe “skimmed” three per cent off the top of tips before they were distributed to employees. The ex-server settled in July 2020 for $300,000, and Gökçe’s lawyers called the claims “meritless”.

Meanwhile, a food runner who worked at Gökçe’s Dubai restaurant told Insider that, when she delivered a bag of leftover steak to the wrong table, about $140 was “slashed” from her tips.

In addition to accusations of tip theft, former employees also accused the restaurant of having a “hyper-masculine culture” fuelled by alleged instances of sexual and racial discrimination. Some female employees were allegedly made to wear dresses that looked like they were “going to the club,” a former reservations agent at Nusr-Et Miami told Insider.

“You feel like you were treated a lot less, not really respected,” she said.

Elizabeth Cruz, a former bartender at Nusr-Et in New York, claimed in a November 2021 lawsuit that she was asked by a general manager to change into a “short skirt, high-heels, and revealing top” on her first day of work. When her male colleagues began to harass her, according to the lawsuit, she asked to change into the standard uniform but was denied her request. Cruz claimed that she was fired several days later in retaliation for complaining. The lawsuit is reportedly still ongoing.

A London hostess at Nusr-Et told Insider that her colleague was fired on the spot after she accidentally broke a glass in front of Gökçe, while another waiter was not hired because Gökçe “didn’t like his shirt.”

“You don’t know if he’s watching you. It’s very uncomfortable to be around him,” the hostess said, referencing his signature dark sunglasses. “If he doesn’t like anyone, you’re done, no notice period, nothing. They tell you to leave straight away.”

In response to the report, Nusret Gökçe’s lawyer reiterated that many of the allegations in the lawsuits have been settled in court.

“The allegations are really nothing more than a rehash of old lawsuits where the claims were disputed and have long since been settled,” said Christy Reuter, an attorney representing Gökçe and his businesses, in a statement to Insider.

“Unfortunately, high profile restaurants and popular chefs are often targets for salacious and meritless claims. Nusret is no different,” she continued. “Nusret employs more than a thousand employees around the world – it is a shame that a few old lawsuits and some unflattering remarks should overshadow the tremendous amount of effort that goes into maintaining a global restaurant workforce, particularly through Covid, or the contributions made by Chef Nusret in creating a mobile kitchen to provide over 6,000 hot meals to victims of the tragic earthquakes.”

The Independent has contacted Nusret Gökçe for comment.

Most recently, “Salt Bae” received backlash last year when he gained “undue access” to the pitch after the World Cup final in Qatar. The celebrity chef was pictured on the field after Argentina’s win against France, where he held and kissed the World Cup trophy. He was seen “grabbing” Argentinian player Lionel Messi on the shoulder and grabbing his arms after Messi appeared to ignore him.

In August 2022, his Nusr-Et London restaurant reportedly made £7 million in its first four months in business, despite being ranked on TripAdvisor as one of London’s worst restaurants one month prior.

Some of Nusr-Et’s menu items include a gold covered tomahawk steak for £1,450, a portion of mashed potatoes for £12, and a single serving of Coca-Cola for £9.