A TikTok collab that was supposed to be a fun day in the Bay Area food scene quickly spiraled into one of the most talked-about restaurant dramas online. It all started on July 23 when Karla, a San Francisco-based content creator known as @itskarlabb on TikTok, posted a tearful video sharing her experience with a local eatery called Kis Cafe. What was meant to be a casual food video turned into a viral nightmare — and a swift restaurant closure.
“I’m like, still shaking and I feel so frazzled, but I just left a restaurant collaboration crying,” Karla says in the video, which now has over 21 million views. She explained that she had shown up early to shoot some b-roll for the video and was greeted by the host, who had invited her to do the collaboration.
After settling into a seat at the counter, Karla overheard a conversation between that same host and another man — later identified as Kis Cafe’s former chef and co-owner Luke Sung. According to Karla, the chef immediately questioned who she was and pulled up her TikTok, scoffing at her 15,000 followers and reportedly saying the collab was a mistake.
“He was saying that I have too little followers and that this was a mistake,” Karla recalled. It got worse when she claims Sung told her, “my audience and my followers are not the kind of people that are going to be at his restaurant,” insinuating they couldn’t afford to dine there. Then came the line that really hit a nerve: “Not to be snobby, but do you know who I am?”
Karla says she didn’t, and he informed her he was a James Beard Award finalist — and that his daughter had 600,000 followers on TikTok. Embarrassed and hurt, Karla said she turned red, ended the collab and walked out of the restaurant.
While Karla never named the restaurant, TikTok users quickly figured it out. Backlash came fast. Both Kis Cafe and Sung’s other restaurant Isa were bombarded with bad reviews and angry comments. By the next day, Kis Cafe released a statement calling Sung’s behavior “unacceptable” and confirmed he was no longer part of the team. The statement said he had left “of his own accord” and that he had reached out to Karla personally with an apology.
The restaurant announced it would close and restructure, hoping to still support its staff. One of the co-owners told NBC Bay Area they plan to reopen with a new chef when things settle, though they remained anonymous due to threats they’ve received.
In a surprising twist, Sung’s daughter Isa, the influencer he name-dropped, came to Karla’s defense. She posted a heartfelt video saying she was shocked and saddened that her father used her name to belittle someone else. “This isn’t the first time I felt hurt by his actions,” she said.
On July 27, Sung posted an apology through Kis Cafe’s account, saying the fallout was his responsibility alone and expressing regret for how it impacted the staff. “I truly care about my staff and am devastated that my actions have impacted both them and their families,” he wrote.
Karla, now with over 387,000 followers, thanked her supporters in a follow-up and showed she’s bouncing back — posting a spicy chicken pasta recipe video and assuring viewers, “I am no award-winning chef, but when I tell you this spicy chicken pasta is so good, you can trust me.”