Was upset for not getting a participation trophy....

SF restaurant temporarily closes after influencer says she left crying

By Madeline Wells

New Hayes Valley wine bar Kis Cafe has parted ways with its James Beard-nominated chef and co-owner after an influencer posted a video alleging a negative experience collaborating with the restaurant. In the video, the self-described micro influencer, itskarlabb, alleged that the owner treated her disrespectfully, saying her TikTok following of 15,000 was inadequate to represent the restaurant (since her video published, itskarlabb now has over 150,000 followers on TikTok). 

“I just left a restaurant collaboration crying,” she said in the video, which currently has 9.3 million views.

While itskarlabb did not name the restaurant she was describing, TikTok commenters quickly came to the conclusion that the restaurant was Kis Cafe and the chef was Luke Sung. On Thursday, the restaurant confirmed the internet sleuthers were correct with a statement posted on Instagram.

“Our chef’s behavior was unacceptable and he is no longer part of the team as a co-owner, a chef or in any other way,” read the post. “As of this post, he (Luke) has reached out to the creator with a personal apology. 

“That behavior does not reflect the remainder of our team. We want to create a space that’s welcoming and respectful to everyone. In this instance, we failed to do so.”

SFGATE could not reach Kis Cafe or itskarlabb for comment in time for publication. Since the TikTok video, Kis Cafe has been review-bombed and currently has a one-star rating on Google Maps. Its Yelp page has an “unusual activity alert” due to a recent influx of one-star reviews referencing a “rude” owner. Isa Restaurant in the Marina District, which was formerly owned by Sung but was sold to new owners in 2009, was mistakenly review-bombed as well and also has an unusual activity alert on Yelp. Isa has added the phrase “Not affiliated with Luke Sung or Kis Cafe” to its listing on Google as clarification. 

“We are closing soon and restructuring after these events,” continued the Instagram post from Kis Cafe. “In the meantime, we hope to still be able to sustain the livelihoods of our team members and their families. 

“Lastly, we understand the frustration and anger, but please do not use this lapse in our values as an opportunity to foment racism and hate speech towards us and our loved ones.”

Kis Cafe opened in the space that was formerly Dominique Crenn’s Petit Crenn in May this year. Kis Cafe was Sung’s first restaurant since selling Isa Restaurant over 15 years ago, reported the San Francisco Standard. He opened the wine bar serving chicken liver mousse and steak carpaccio with longtime friend Eric Lin.