Protesters Gather Outside Noma Pop-Up in Los Angeles

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As Noma, the acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant, opened a 16-week pop-up series in Los Angeles with meals priced at $1,500 per person, a group of protesters gathered outside the event venue to denounce the restaurant's alleged history of physically and psychologically abusing employees. The protesters, including a former Noma employee, held signs and chanted slogans calling for the restaurant to change its management and employee policies to address the reported violations of workers' rights.

Why it matters

The protests highlight the ongoing reckoning in the restaurant industry over issues of worker abuse and exploitation, even at the highest levels of fine dining. Noma's reputation as one of the world's most influential restaurants has not shielded it from scrutiny over its alleged mistreatment of staff, raising questions about the industry's values and the price of culinary excellence.

The details

The protesters gathered outside the Paramour Estate in Los Angeles, where Noma was hosting a 16-week pop-up series of $1,500 per person meals. The group, numbering around a dozen, chanted slogans like 'Stop wasting your time, you're paying for a crime' and held signs accusing Noma of building its 'empire' on 'unpaid labor' and 'violence.' Jason Ignacio White, a former Noma employee, read aloud from an open letter calling for the restaurant to change its management and employee policies to comply with legal and moral obligations.

• The protests took place on Wednesday morning as the first Noma pop-up lunch was being served.

What they’re saying

What’s next

It is unclear if Noma will address the protesters' demands or make any changes to its management and employee policies in response to the allegations of abuse.