I’ve watched the rise of Salt Bae (Nusret Gökçe) with a mix of fascination, curiosity, and professional sympathy. Anyone who runs a serious steakhouse like us can grasp what it takes to go from carving meat behind a counter to building and presiding over a global restaurant brand. And yet, what we’re seeing now with the Nusr-Et empire is a reminder that in this business, fame can feed you – at least for a while. But consistency is what keeps the doors open when the spotlight fades.
From Butcher’s Block to Fame
Nusret’s story starts humbly. Born in eastern Turkey in 1983, he left school early, apprenticed with butchers in Istanbul, and worked his way up. Hands-on, old-school, knife-in-hand, the hard way. In 2010, he opened the first Nusr-Et Steakhouse in Istanbul’s Etiler district. By all accounts, it was good. The meat was well-sourced, and the showmanship added charm. He had that rare combination of precision, presence, and a bit of theater that diners remembered.
Then came that video in 2017. The salt-sprinkling gesture that went viral and turned a hard-working butcher into an internet celebrity overnight. It was show business meets steakhouse, and for a while, the whole world wanted to dine at his table. Every restaurant owner I know watched that clip thinking, “Good for him.” Because we all dream of that lightning-in-a-bottle moment when your craft suddenly connects with the public imagination.
The Power Trap of Hype
Viral fame can do what decades of PR cannot. Overnight, “Salt Bae” became a brand. Celebrities posted selfies, influencers queued for a photo, and the media coverage was relentless. Within a few years, Nusr-Et went from one Istanbul location to a global chain with branches in Dubai, Doha, Miami, New York, London, and Beverly Hills.
The concept was simple: steak as spectacle. Theatrics, gold-leaf tomahawks, thumping music, and servers trained to perform the signature flourish. Guests didn’t just dine, they documented it. That’s powerful marketing. But there’s a catch – when your brand is built on performance, you need to deliver a show every night. And when you expand that show to dozens of countries, you’re no longer running kitchens, you’re running a stage production.
Behind the Curtain
In recent years, reports surfaced that the empire isn’t as smooth as it looks online. Multiple ex-employees have filed lawsuits or made claims about unpaid wages, withheld tips, and aggressive management culture. Some mentioned favoritism or discrimination by nationality. Others described the work environment as “toxic,” where staff were praised one day and dismissed the next.
Now, I’m not here to pass judgment. Every large hospitality group faces HR headaches. When you scale fast, especially across borders, things are bound to get complex very quickly. Labour laws differ. Training standards slip. Managers cut corners. Still, the pattern of claims suggests deeper cracks between the brand image and daily operations. As a restaurateur I can say this – hype magnifies both the glory and the growing pains. When people line up to film your restaurant, you’re not just serving food anymore, you’re performing under a microscope.
Downsized Dreams
That microscope got sharper when closures began. As of 2025, several Nusr-Et locations in the U.S. shut down. The Beverly Hills branch, arguably the crown jewel, closed suddenly last June. Earlier, the “Salt Bae Burger” spin-off in New York had folded after poor reviews. Across the Atlantic, the London Knightsbridge flagship, once pulling in over £13 million annually, saw revenue drop to £9 million, with profits sliding as costs rose. Reports say management cut heating, dimmed lights during quiet hours, and removed the gold-coated steaks from the menu to save on costs.
Those of us in the trade recognize the signs – a brand under pressure, trimming fat to stay afloat. Inflation, energy prices, rising rents, it hits all of us. But when your concept revolves around spectacle and luxury, you can’t quietly “go lean” without losing the magic.
Show Versus Substance
The real issue isn’t just costs, it’s the business model. The Salt Bae brand sold exclusivity, luxury, indulgence. But that fantasy depends on endless novelty. When people stop posting, the buzz fades, and the gold leaf starts to look a little tacky instead of glamorous. In my own experience, diners eventually come back to what matters – flavor, consistency, and connection.
You can’t salt-pose your way through a bad cut of beef or a stressed-out team. Nusret’s instinct for showmanship is rare. He understood early on that diners wanted emotion with their meal, not just protein. But emotional connection needs authenticity behind it. Without that, what’s left is a nightly performance that fades over time, just as a long running broadway show does.
A Brand Under Pressure
Despite the closures, it’s too early to write the obituary. The Nusr-Et brand is still on display in Turkey, Dubai, and Qatar. These markets appreciate luxury dining, and Salt Bae remains a recognizable figure with millions of followers. The group seems to be consolidating by closing underperforming sites, tightening operations, and focusing on markets that still resonate with the brand’s original formula. Some locations remain profitable, and there’s clearly a loyal clientele who see Nusr-Et as a special-occasion splurge.
The Lesson for the Rest of Us
From one steakhouse owner to another, I see in Salt Bae’s story a parable of our times, meaning the triumph and the trap of viral fame. It shows how the internet can build a global dining empire, and how quickly that same glare can expose its cracks. The restaurant business has always balanced artistry with arithmetic. You can’t feed the spreadsheet without feeding people’s senses, and you can’t stay inspired if you’re just chasing margins.
Nusr-Et’s early years struck that balance beautifully. But somewhere along the way, the numbers and the cameras started calling the shots. Maybe this is the natural cycle. Every trend burns bright, then settles into something steadier. The real test will be whether the brand can evolve and move from being a meme to being a mature institution.
That means less focus on gold tomahawks and more on what first made it special – consistency and hospitality that feels human. I hope Nusret Gökçe finds a way to turn the spotlight into a steady flame. Because beneath the memes and the theatrics is a man who once just wanted to serve a perfect piece of meat. And that, in our business, is still the only real magic that lasts.
Image Credit: https://www.nusr-et.com.tr/Resources/GalleryImage/
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