Salt Bae Apparently Has a Very Lucrative Restaurant Empire Now | Bon Appétit

"A global chain of 22 theatrically run steakhouses built on a viral meme, known as much for spectacle as for food — most notoriously a 24‑karat gold–wrapped tomahawk priced at roughly $1,160 — and for very high prices across the menu. Critical and customer opinion is sharply divided: some praise juicy, flavorful items like the cheeseburger and well‑seasoned fries, while others call steaks mundane, tough, or bland. The business extends beyond restaurants into a direct‑to‑consumer meat venture (for example, 7 ounces of filet mignon for $65 and 1.76 ounces of signature salt for $30), a Union Square burger outpost, and hospitality investments, but it has also been marred by workplace controversies including a settled tip‑skimming lawsuit and allegations of sex discrimination and unpaid wages. Despite a decline in meme virality and frequent backlash over pricing and labor practices, the combination of celebrity spectacle and premium positioning continues to draw patrons." - ByAli Francis