Restaurant Pop-Up Loses American Express and Blackbird Sponsors Ahead of Los Angeles Dinners
American Express and Blackbird cut ties with the Copenhagen restaurant’s Los Angeles pop-up, the sponsors announced on Tuesday (ET), after allegations that the restaurant’s leader abused staff; the chef has issued an apology and Noma says it is investigating. The Los Angeles engagement, with tickets priced at $1, 500, had sold out in three minutes. Sponsors cited unacceptable past practices and announced refunds and donations tied to their ticket purchases.
Restaurant sponsors pull out
Blackbird and American Express said they would end their partnerships with Noma for the planned Los Angeles dinners. Ben Leventhal, Chief Executive Officer, Blackbird, said, “René’s past practices, by his own admission, were unacceptable and abhorrent. We cannot lean on time elapsed and rehabilitation claims when these things resurface. Regardless of context, this is highly problematic behavior. ” Leventhal said Blackbird purchased $100, 000 in tickets, that the company would give customers refunds, and that proceeds from its ticket sales would be donated to advocacy groups for industry professionals and hourly workers.
American Express had bought out six nights for its Platinum cardholders and made arrangements for customers who already purchased tickets to request refunds. Both institutions moved to sever promotional and ticketing ties with the pop-up ahead of the Los Angeles run.
Immediate reactions from chef and restaurant
René Redzepi, chef and co-owner, posted a public statement online acknowledging aspects of the accounts of his past behavior and apologizing to those harmed. He wrote, “Although I don’t recognize all details in these stories, I can see enough of my past behavior reflected in them to understand that my actions were harmful to people who worked with me. ” He apologized to those who have “suffered under my leadership, my bad judgment, or my anger”, and said he had “worked to change”, including therapy and finding “better ways to manage my anger. ”
Noma issued a statement asserting that the recent claims do not reflect its current workplace and that, while the stories appear to date back many years, the restaurant takes them seriously and is looking into them carefully. Noma said it has improved processes to address concerns and is continuing with an independent audit meant to ensure high standards and workplace safety.
What’s next: refunds, donated proceeds and an audit
The immediate practical fallout centers on refunds and redirected funds: Blackbird intends to refund customers and donate the proceeds from its ticket purchases to advocacy groups for industry professionals and hourly workers, and American Express has opened refund requests for cardholders who bought tickets. The Los Angeles pop-up—which had sold out rapidly at a $1, 500 price point—now faces cancellations of key sponsor support ahead of the scheduled events.
Officials at Blackbird and representatives for American Express have framed their actions as responses to admissions and allegations they regard as unacceptable. Noma’s stated next step is an independent audit to review workplace practices and to guide further action. The chef’s public acknowledgment of harmful past behavior and the company audit are likely to shape whether other partners re-engage, whether ticket-holders demand wider remedies, and how quickly the restaurant can move to reassure industry stakeholders and staff.
As this situation unfolds, sponsors, ticket-holders and the restaurant itself will watch the independent audit’s findings and any further statements from the chef and management; the restaurant’s future pop-up plans and partner relationships depend on those outcomes and on how grievance mechanisms are strengthened. The sponsor withdrawals and the launched audit signal that scrutiny will continue as events approach and refund mechanisms are implemented.
