Salt Bae’s London restaurant has fallen on hard times it seems after the business recorded losses of £5.4m last year.
Yes, it looks like the novelty of flogging gold-leaf-covered steaks for almost £1,500 and a flamboyant salt-sprinkling style has worn off for many.
Nusret Gökce, a.k.a. Salt Bae, first went viral in 2017 and off the back of this he opened Nurs-Et steakhouse in London, in the Park Tower Knightsbridge Hotel.
The restaurant went viral on social media, with a menu featuring gold-covered steak priced at £1,450 and customers racking up extortionate bills into the tens of thousands.
Celebrities and famous faces flocked from far and wide to eat at Nurs-Et and have steak fed to them by Gökce.
Whilst the gold-covered steak no longer features on the menu, diners were still looking at £680 wagyu striploin and £630 giant tomahawk.
But any food reviewer worth their salt was quick to point out that the hype was all a social media-hyped facade, where the vibes were non-existent and the meat not worth anywhere near its sky high prices.
There were also questions over an establishment where sides such as broccoli or a bowl of crisps were worth more than the hourly salary of some who worked there.
Initially, the restaurant seemed to be raking it in, recording pre-tax profits of £3.3m in 2022 – but it seems like the novelty of the meme has worn off for many.
A disastrous US expansion has meant the UK company has gone from a £1.7m profit in 2023 to a £5.4m loss last year, the Sun reports.
Following the losses, Salt Bae has been forced to shutter a number of US restaurants. Nusret US Inc, which is fully owned by the UK business, was forced to close one of two New York restaurants and its Boston branch last year.
In January, its restaurants in Dallas and Las Vegas were shuttered, followed by its Beverley Hills site in June, meaning there are not just two US locations.
There were also reports earlier this year that the London restaurant was cutting back on heating in order to save on bills.