What started as a seemingly ordinary influencer collaboration has now turned into a public relations disaster that cost one chef his job—and shut down a restaurant.
The drama began with a single TikTok video, but it spiraled into something much bigger than anyone expected.
A TikToker’s Dream Collaboration Turns Sour
Bay Area micro-influencer Karla Marcotte, known online as @itskarlabb, thought she was stepping into a promising partnership when she accepted an invite to Kis Cafe in San Francisco.
With around 15,000 followers at the time, Karla was used to doing small-scale brand collaborations—usually in exchange for free food or services.
She was invited to dine at Kis Cafe, a trendy wine bar in Hayes Valley, and in return, she would post about the experience.
But when she arrived, things quickly went sideways.
The Chef Wasn’t Impressed by Her Follower Count
According to Karla’s TikTok—now viewed over 21 million times—she began filming around the cafe while waiting for her husband.
But she says she soon overheard a conversation that changed the tone of the evening completely.
The restaurant’s award-winning chef, Luke Sung, apparently questioned why she had even been invited, mocking her relatively small following.
Karla recalled him saying that her audience wasn’t the kind of crowd he wanted dining there—implying that they couldn’t afford it.
A Confrontation That Went Viral
Eventually, Karla and Sung were introduced—and that’s when things escalated.
She says Sung doubled down, told her she wasn’t “at the level” of his influencer daughter Isa, and began bragging about his own accolades.
Feeling embarrassed and unwelcome, Karla and her husband decided to leave without eating.
She later posted her experience on TikTok—without naming names—but that didn’t stop social media from doing what it does best: investigating.
Internet Detectives Identify the Chef and the Cafe
Online sleuths quickly pinpointed the restaurant as Kis Cafe and identified Sung as the chef. The backlash was swift.
Negative Yelp and Google reviews flooded in, dragging not only Kis Cafe but also Sung’s previous restaurant, Isa, into the mess.
And it wasn’t just ordinary users taking sides. Big names like podcast host Alex Cooper and actress Jameela Jamil publicly backed Karla.
Cooper even wrote, “We your audience will never ever be dining at Kis Cafe.”
Chef Issues a Public Apology
Facing mounting backlash, Sung posted a public apology on the Kis Cafe Instagram page (he doesn’t have social media himself).
He confirmed he had already apologized privately to Karla and stepped down from his role before going public.
In his message, Sung admitted to being “condescending, hurtful, and intimidating,” acknowledging that Karla didn’t deserve to be treated that way.
He took full responsibility and insisted that no one else at the restaurant or in his family should be blamed.
Dragging His Daughter Into the Spotlight
Sung’s apology also included a heartfelt note to his daughter, Isa, whose name—and follower count—had been invoked during the confrontation.
“I’m sorry I put you in this position,” he wrote. “I’ve failed you in the worst way.”
It was clear Sung regretted pulling his family into the drama, especially his daughter, who had nothing to do with the incident.
The Cafe Closes Its Doors for Good
Just a day after Sung’s public statement, Kis Cafe announced its permanent closure.
In a post on Instagram, the restaurant said, “It’s been a pleasure serving our neighbors and community,” before revealing, “Tonight is our last night.”
The fallout from one tense exchange, a viral TikTok, and a wave of public backlash had officially shut down the business for good.
No Comment Yet from the Two at the Center
DailyMail.com reached out to both Luke Sung and Karla Marcotte for further comment, but as of now, neither has responded.
The internet, however, continues to debate where the line should be drawn between influencer culture, entitlement, and respect in the service industry.