FLASH
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Renowned chef of Albanian origin René Rexhepi has announced his resignation from the management of the famous 3-Michelin-starred restaurant, Noma, after being accused of violently abusing staff for more than a decade.
The founder of the Danish restaurant announced his resignation on Wednesday, after a New York Times article revealed how he allegedly harassed and physically assaulted at least 30 employees between 2009 and 2017.
"I have worked to be a better leader, and Noma has taken great strides to transform the culture over many years. I understand that these changes do not fix the past. An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my actions. After more than two decades of building and leading this restaurant, I have decided to step down and allow our extraordinary leaders to lead the restaurant into its next chapter," the chef said in a statement, adding that he has also resigned from the board of the nonprofit organization he founded in 2011.
Making the decision public through a video posted on social media, he apologizes to the restaurant staff for the situation created.
"I'm sorry that everyone is in this situation, I really am," he said.
Rexhepi stressed that the recent controversies do not represent the restaurant team and expressed pride in what they have built together. According to him, the great attention focused on him made him think that the best way to protect the team was to step down from the management.
"To make sure you feel 100 percent well, I'm leaving," he told staff, adding that he is not avoiding any responsibility for the way he has led in the past.
The chef encouraged the employees to continue the restaurant's mission and stand by each other as a team. He called them his family and expressed confidence that they would get through this difficult period.
The announcement came at a time when Noma restaurant was preparing to open a luxury residence in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, which René Rexhepi said would proceed as planned, despite protests over its opening.
"Noma's mission for the future is to continue to explore ideas, discover new flavors, and imagine what food can become decades from now. Noma has always been bigger than any one person. And this next step honors that belief," he concluded.
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