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A top San Francisco chef, Luke Sung, has been fired from Kis Cafe after a confrontation with a TikTok influencer went viral. The influencer, known as itskarlabb, claimed she was left in tears after Sung refused to provide her with a free meal, stating she wasn't famous enough with her 15,000 followers. According to the influencer, she was invited to the restaurant for a promotional collaboration, but Sung questioned her presence and belittled her follower count.
The incident quickly gained attention after itskarlabb's TikTok video received over 10 million views, leading to public backlash against the restaurant. In response, Kis Cafe announced on Instagram that Sung's behavior was "unacceptable" and confirmed his departure from the team. The restaurant also decided to temporarily close to "restructure after these events" and emphasized their commitment to supporting their staff.
Following the viral post, itskarlabb's follower count surged to over 250,000 as of Friday (July 25) afternoon. She expressed her desire to advocate for micro-influencers, stating, "You don't need to have a million followers to be respected or feel like you're making a difference."