Noma, Rated the World’s Best Restaurant, Is Closing Its Doors

Ending the ‘Production Line’

So what will become of the Noma brand?

Mr. Redzepi said it has not made him wealthy, because his commitment to high-quality ingredients and flawless execution is so costly. He declined to provide specifics, but according to public records, he is a majority owner of Noma, and part owner of multiple popular ventures run by Noma alumni.

Opening satellite restaurants around the world, as many chefs have done to increase revenue, would not solve the problem, he said. “I have been offered countless blank checks in Qatar. It doesn’t entice me.”

Mr. Redzepi, who has been cooking professionally since age 15, said he had long wanted out of the “production line” aspect of restaurant cooking. He said advance commitments and building Noma Projects — including a new production facility, with 60 to 70 full-time employees — are the reason the change will not take effect for nearly two years.

“I hope we can prove to the world that you can grow old and be creative and have fun in the industry,” he said. “Instead of hard, grueling, low-paid work under poor management conditions that wears people out.”

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Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/09/dining/noma-closing-rene-redzepi.html