René Rexhepi (Redzepi in foreign media), the head chef and co-founder of the Albanian-born Noma restaurant, announced on Wednesday that he resigned from his internationally renowned restaurant in Copenhagen following allegations that he had physically abused his staff.
Rexhepi's resignation comes after a New York Times report that detailed shocking allegations of physical and psychological abuse, including claims that he "struck employees in the face, stabbed them with kitchen utensils and slammed them into walls."
"I have decided to step down and allow our incredible leaders to now lead the restaurant into its next chapter," he wrote in an Instagram story.
Rexhepi said that recent weeks had “brought important attention and conversations about our restaurant, the industry, and my past leadership,” writing:
“I have worked to be a better leader, and Noma has made great strides to transform the culture over the years. I understand that these changes do not fix the past. An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my actions.”
The boss said the Noma team will "continue together on our LA residency, which will be a powerful moment to show that they have worked towards improvement."
Rexhepi said he was also resigning from the board of Mad, a food industry nonprofit he founded in 2011. He also posted a video apologizing to staff and announcing his departure.
His announcement came after American Express and Blackbird, a hospitality company, cut ties with Noma ahead of the LA pop-up.
The New York Times report on his abuse was based on interviews with 35 former employees and described a “pattern of physical punishment” and “lasting trauma from layers of psychological abuse, including intimidation, body shaming and public ridicule.” The boss threatened to lock employees out of the food industry, deport their families and fire family members from other jobs, according to the report.
