Chef Luke Sung Speaks Out After TikToker Karla Leaves Kis Cafe in Tears

In a controversy that’s taken the restaurant world (and a lot of social media) by storm, acclaimed chef Luke Sung has finally broken his silence. It all began when TikToker Karla, better known as @itskarlabb, posted a tearful account of her collaboration turning sour at Kis Cafe, a then-new wine bar in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley.

The influencer says she was treated dismissively by the chef, leading her to leave the venue feeling humiliated. Since then, Sung has stepped down, Kis Cafe is restructuring, and the fallout continues to reverberate. The question of how this all played out has been on everyone’s lips, and now, the chef is addressing it head-on.

Chef Luke Sung speaks out after TikToker Karla leaves Kis Cafe in tears

When Luke Sung heard that his behavior was the fuel for a viral TikTok rant, he didn’t hide—he came forward. In a four‑slide Instagram statement shared via Kis Cafe on July 27, he wrote:

“I was condescending, hurtful, and intimidating. You did not deserve to be made to feel less than or unimportant… I thank you for teaching me a valuable lesson in kindness and respect”.

Here’s what happened: Karla, a micro‑influencer with just 15,000 followers at the time, arrived early for a planned collab at Kis Cafe. She says Sung and the host were overheard discussing her follower count within earshot: he allegedly called the invite a “mistake” and made clear her audience wasn’t the type he wanted representing his café. When she finally met him, he grilled her about whether she’d researched the place, then played some of her TikToks out loud—and dismissed them as “not at the level” required, even suggesting her audience couldn’t afford the vibe of his restaurant.

In the fallout, Kis Cafe confirmed Sung had been removed “in any capacity” and announced a temporary closure to restructure operations, apologizing for failing to maintain a welcoming environment. The TikTok video amassed millions of views, and Karla’s follower count skyrocketed as a result, moving from around 15,000 to over 350,000 in the span of days.

Sung described why he chose to post:

“It was important for me to first apologize to Karla privately and step away from Kis Cafe before publicly apologizing”.

The chef took full ownership of how things unfolded, stressing that his behavior should not reflect on the Kis Cafe team or anyone associated with the café. He expressed regret over the impact on his staff and their families, saying he deeply cared for them and was devastated by the collateral damage.

The apology didn’t stop there; Luke even addressed his daughter Isa, a TikTok creator with a much larger following, acknowledging he had “failed her in the worst way,” and expressed sorrow that she had to face public criticism due to his misstep.

Luke Sung has thus taken the rare step of publicly confronting how he treated a creator, admitting it was inappropriate and committing himself to change. In his departure from Kis Cafe, the chef seems to be offering more than just a resignation; he’s offering accountability. In the end, what started as a seemingly routine influencer collaboration at Kis Cafe has sparked an ongoing conversation about respect, power dynamics, and what it means to represent a brand in 2025.