Stephanie Brageau

Can the industry change?

Can a restaurant change?

Can that hostility and that sort of ambience of hostility and fear ever really change?

Yes.

Yes, yes and yes.

So some of these allegations more vaguely were covered a few years ago.

He, quote unquote, stepped away from the restaurant's day-to-day activities, quote unquote, day-to-day activities.

Of course, he's still involved.

He was still here in Los Angeles helping to lead, you know, the pop-up here.

When this came out on the evening of the protest, sort of late afternoon, early evening, the

He released a statement saying that he, in fact, would now be leaving NOMA, you know, again, using the word stepping away.

He not only released a statement, but he released a video that has also somewhat been controversial.

Because it's like a docu-style sort of video of him addressing the staff.

I'm sorry everyone is in this situation.

I really, really am.

And he explains that, you know, all of this is happening and it must be very hard for the staff and he apologized to his staff and he said he would be stepping away because there's too much attention on him.

Because it's so much focused on me, I have to remove myself.

And he's sort of giving the restaurant over to his staff at this point.

This is your restaurant now.

Each and every one of you.