He conquered the world with a mere flick of the wrist. A pinch of coarse salt cascading from his elbow onto a bleeding steak, a bullfighter’s stance, and a silent gaze. In January 2017, Nusret Gökçe, better known as Salt Bae, posted a seemingly trivial video that would change his life. Dressed in white, ponytail slicked back, round sunglasses shielding his face, the Turkish butcher transformed a simple seasoning ritual into a viral sensation. But just eight years later, the man who once embodied global “foodtainment” is now the figurehead of a crumbling empire.
From rural Anatolia to Instagram stardom
Born in 1983 in Paşalı, a modest village in eastern Turkey, Gökçe comes from a Kurdish working-class family. His father, a miner, couldn’t support the household. Gökçe dropped out of school in his early teens and began apprenticing in a butcher’s shop in Istanbul. Grueling days, 18-hour shifts, and meager pay forged his work ethic and ambition.
Determined to hone his craft, he traveled to Buenos Aires and New York to study meat culture firsthand. He learned, observed, perfected. In 2010, he opened his first restaurant in Istanbul: Nusr-Et, a blend of his first name and the Turkish word for meat, et.
The salt move that made him a global icon
But it was in 2017 that everything changed. A short Instagram video showed him slicing and salting a steak with near-theatrical flair. Titled Ottoman Steak, the clip went viral. Gökçe became an internet meme. Bruno Mars reposted the video, Rihanna wore his face on a T-shirt, and Leonardo DiCaprio dined at his Dubai restaurant.
His Instagram account exploded—now boasting over 53 million followers. Riding this wave, Gökçe launched restaurants across the globe: Dubai, Miami, London, New York, Doha. The Nusr-Et brand was born. But behind the social media glitter, cracks in the foundation began to appear.
The food disappoints, the bill infuriates
Critics quickly turned a cold shoulder. In New York, one of his first U.S. locations, reviewers described the meals as “flavorless,” “rubbery,” and overpriced. His 2020 launch of Saltbae Burger fared no better: $99 milkshakes, wagyu burgers that “all tasted the same,” and a general sense of gimmick over substance.
The over-the-top prices became legendary: $1,000 gold-covered steaks, £18 sodas, and £37,000 receipts in London posted online, sparking widespread outrage. Still, diners kept coming ; for the spectacle, if not the cuisine.
Restaurant closures: a slow American collapse
Since 2023, Salt Bae’s restaurants in the U.S. have closed one after the other. By mid-2025, outlets in Dallas, Boston, Las Vegas, and Beverly Hills had shut down. Today, only two Nusr-Et restaurants remain operational in the United States: Midtown Manhattan and Miami Beach.
The closures stem from poor reviews, questionable business practices, and waning public interest. The viral moment, it seems, did not translate into a sustainable business model.
Behind the scenes: lawsuits and toxic workplaces
Behind the Instagram glamor, former employees have painted a darker picture. Multiple lawsuits allege workplace discrimination, harassment, and unethical management. Some say they were underpaid despite the restaurants’ exorbitant prices; others claim they were fired for reporting tip theft or favoritism toward Turkish staff.
In 2019, Gökçe settled a case for $230,000 with four New York workers over withheld tips. In 2022, a suit filed by 24 employees in Miami was dismissed, but it underscored long-standing tensions within the company. An investigative report by Business Insider in 2023 described the working environment as “Hunger Games – like,” with former staff accusing Gökçe of having a “god complex.”
A viral scandal at the World Cup
In December 2022, Gökçe made headlines for all the wrong reasons. After Argentina’s victory in the World Cup final in Qatar, Salt Bae somehow made it onto the field. He approached Lionel Messi uninvited, posed for photos, kissed the World Cup trophy, and mimicked his iconic salt-sprinkling move.
FIFA, infuriated, reminded the public that only players and officials may touch the trophy. Gökçe was subsequently banned from attending the U.S. Open Cup Final the following year.
Strategic pivot: Middle East and Latin America
Despite his downfall in the U.S., Gökçe is far from finished. He’s refocusing his business on the Middle East and Europe, where his brand still carries weight. Nusr-Et currently operates in Turkey (eight locations), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, London, and Mykonos.
In 2025, the chain plans to expand into Mexico City, Rome, Ibiza, and Milan, according to board member Akın Tavuz. These new locations, he says, are part of a strategy to target “more dynamic markets with stronger growth potential.”
A cautionary tale for the internet age
Salt Bae’s story is more than a case of viral fame. It’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of building an empire on spectacle alone. Gökçe once mastered the algorithm, but algorithms evolve, and digital virality doesn’t guarantee long-term success. When the flash fades, what remains must be substance ; and too often, his restaurants failed to deliver.
Today, Salt Bae is still watched, still followed, still controversial. But the question lingers: when the meme dies, what legacy remains?