There was a time when Salt Bae ruled the internet and the dining world, but recent events have shown more than ever that time’s a distant memory.
Nusret Gökçe, the Turkish butcher-turned-viral sensation, became a household name after a video of his dramatic seasoning style took social media by storm back in 2017.
With one slick flick of salt over a perfectly cooked steak, he transformed from a humble chef in Istanbul to an international symbol of luxury dining.
His Nusr-Et restaurants soon became playgrounds for celebrities and influencers, where gold-leaf steaks and eye-watering bills were all part of the performance.
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The London Knightsbridge restaurant, which opened in 2021, quickly became the jewel in his crown. It pulled in £7 million in its first year, and by 2023, sales had climbed to an impressive £10 million. Everyone wanted a taste of the spectacle, and for a while, the hype seemed unstoppable.
As 2025 rolled around, though, the glitter had started to fade. Behind the glitz and the Instagram fame, cracks were beginning to show; now, the Salt Bae empire may be in serious trouble.
According to reports from various outlets, summarized by International Business Times, Nusr-Et has recorded a staggering £5.4 million loss at its London flagship in 2024, marking a major downturn for a brand once synonymous with opulence.
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The decline has been fuelled by an aggressive push into the US market, which has since backfired. The expansion saw seven locations across America shrink to just two by mid-2025, after high-profile closures in New York, Boston, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Beverly Hills.
The failed venture racked up £6.6 million in exceptional expenses, leaving the UK arm, which technically owned the US assets, in a £5.5 million pre-tax deficit for 2024.
Revenues in affected markets dropped by around 30 percent, as customers struggled to swallow £600/$920 steaks and lavish pricing.
In the UK, the restaurant’s once-buzzy reputation took a nosedive online.
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The Knightsbridge branch’s TripAdvisor score now sits at 2.9 from around 400 reviews, with furious diners describing Gökçe as an ‘insult to humanity.’
One viral post from food critic @SouthDallasFoodie celebrated the closure of the Dallas outlet, writing: “Salt Bae’s restaurant ‘Nusr Et’ in Dallas is now permanently closed and I like to think that we all had a part in that. Go team.”
Hygiene issues, questionable management decisions, and tone-deaf marketing have only added fuel to the fire. Set-menu price cuts in 2024 were introduced to win back customers, but the damage may already be done.
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Responding to the original story, Nusr-Et spoke to FOODbible to provide 'clarification regarding recent misleading reports', saying: "Nusr-Et London registered a turnover of £10,068,555 in 2024, corresponding to a 7.9% increase compared to £9,333,923 in 2023. Excluding the impairment against Nusr-Et US closures, operating profit of Nusr-Et London increased by 24.6% in 2024 (£1,893,199) compared to 2023 (£1,519,320).
"Please note that Nusr-Et’s U.S. operations are structured as a wholly owned subsidiary of our Nusr-Et U.K. entity. Due to the closure of select U.S. locations in 2024, a one-time impairment was recorded in the U.K. financials."
The Nusr-Et Press Office added: "This reported loss is purely a non-cash accounting adjustment and does not reflect operational performance.
"Nusr-Et continues to pursue an active, dynamic, and growth-oriented global strategy. As part of this, we are realigning some of our U.S. operations toward new high-opportunity markets, including Milan, Mexico City, Rome, and Ibiza.
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"Our presence in the United States remains strong through our locations in Miami and New York City, and we are proud to continue delivering our signature Nusr-Et dining experience to carefully selected growth markets around the world."
Still, with reserves falling from £8.1 million to £2.3 million, it’s clear the empire has been shaken.
For a man whose brand was built on luxury and excess, the fall from grace has been swift. Analysts warn that without serious reinvention, Nusr-Et’s global footprint could shrink even further.
Topics: Celebrity, Restaurants and bars, UK Food, US Food, Instagram
Ben Williams