There was a lot of movement this week. Restaurants closing, companies merging and others parting ways. Let's start with the biggest split of the week.
Chef Daniel Humm of Make it Nice Hospitality Group split with partner Will Guidara in 2019 and the splits just keep coming. Earlier this week, it was announced that NoMad Hotels would no longer be partnering with Make it Nice and Humm, rather they are using another company to provide food to their domestic and international locations. Rumors had been swirling for months but the final nail in the coffin came this week when both camps released statements about the split, citing it as a "difficult decision". Read more about the fissure.
The Spotted Pig, plagued by months of closure rumors after owner Ken Friedman exited the company following his sexual harassment scandal, finally closed its doors with no fanfare on Sunday. Friedman's settlement of $240,000 with the New York Attorney General's office was announced three weeks prior and included a clause that Friedman must share 20% of his profits through 2030 with his 11 accusers. Read his statement.
On the flip side, ghost kitchen power player Zuul acquired OnTray, an online ordering platform allowing restaurants to offer ordering services through their own websites. Doesn't look like ghost kitchens will be going away any time soon so why not read about the current players?
Check out some of the happier stories trending this week including Grubhub's new initiatives, Flippy the robot fry cook, Thomas Keller and more.
