Salt Bae partnered with Dunkin Donuts to promote new Salted Caramel range
5 years ago
Turkey Nusret Gökçe, known as Salt Bae, has built a global luxury steakhouse empire, Nusr-Et, transitioning from a butcher's apprentice to an internationally recognized restaurateur and internet sensation.
Gökçe is the head of 17 Nusr-Et steakhouses, with the first opened in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2010. He announced plans to expand with new restaurants in Mexico City, Rome, Milan, and Ibiza.
Salt Bae has expanded his luxury Nusr-Et chain worldwide, including a flagship in London, and plans to continue global growth.
Nusret Gökçe, widely recognized as Salt Bae, was born in 1983 in Paşalı, a village in Erzurum Province, Turkey. Coming from a Kurdish family, his early life involved challenging circumstances, leading him to leave school in the sixth grade, at the age of 11-12, to begin an apprenticeship as a butcher in Istanbul. This early start in the meat industry laid the foundation for his future career. To gain extensive experience in culinary arts and restaurant management, Gökçe traveled to various countries between 2007 and 2010, including Argentina and the United States, where he worked without pay in local restaurants. These experiences were crucial in honing his skills and understanding the intricacies of the hospitality business. Upon his return to Turkey, he channeled his accumulated knowledge and passion into establishing his first restaurant.
In 2010, Gökçe opened the first Nusr-Et restaurant in Istanbul, marking the beginning of his journey as a restaurateur. The concept expanded, and by 2014, he had opened a branch in Dubai. His career reached a turning point in January 2017 when a video, titled “Ottoman Steak,” featuring his distinctive meat-cutting and salt-sprinkling technique, went viral online. This video, viewed over 16 million times on Instagram, earned him the moniker “Salt Bae” and propelled him to international fame. The unique gesture of dropping salt from his fingertips to his forearm and then onto the dish became an internet meme, significantly raising his public profile and attracting a global clientele, including numerous celebrities and politicians.
His Nusr-Et chain has since grown significantly, operating luxury steakhouses in multiple countries, including Turkey, Greece, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Beyond his restaurant ventures, Gökçe has engaged in philanthropic efforts, such as building a school in his hometown of Erzurum, which includes a library, a guest house, a mosque, an English education center, and a computer laboratory. Despite controversies and mixed critical reviews regarding his restaurants, particularly his New York City steakhouse and a later burger concept, his brand continues to expand, driven by his established global recognition.
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