A San Francisco chef whose restaurant closed down after he was accused of being rude to a TikTok influencer is now speaking out for the first time about the viral controversy. <\/p>\n
In an interview with the San Francisco Standard<\/a>, the former co-owner of Kis Cafe, in Hayes Valley, recounted his disastrous meeting with TikTok influencer Karla Marcotte, who posted a video<\/a> of her \u201cnightmare SF restaurant experience\u201d on July 23. <\/p>\n In her video, Marcotte said that Luke Sung, a James Beard-nominated chef, criticized her follower count and said it was a \u201cmistake\u201d for the restaurant\u2019s host to invite her to the establishment.<\/p>\n Sung told The Standard that Marcotte came into his restaurant, sat down and didn\u2019t greet him. <\/p>\n \u201cMy high expectation for professionalism has failed me again and again \u2014 it just brings disappointment,\u201d Sung told The Standard.<\/p>\n Sung said he then started looking through her TikTok page and saw an image of \u201ccreamy\u201d spaghetti with \u201covercooked\u201d steak on top that Marcotte had cooked herself, causing him to doubt her abilities as a food writer. <\/p>\n Sung said that he told Marcotte, \u201cI think there may have been a mistake. I\u2019m not sure if we have the same audience.\u201d He said he also asked if she had researched him and his cafe and what they were trying to do. <\/p>\n According to Sung, Marcotte was offended after he looked through her TikTok page and told her husband, who had just arrived, that they weren\u2019t going to eat at the restaurant. Sung said Marcotte told him,\u201dThe restaurant world is really small. There will be consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n