Im Seong-geun apologizes over Paju restaurant opening

Chef Im Seong-geun of Netflix's Culinary Class Wars 2 apologized to customers after opening a new restaurant in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. In a July 11 social media post with photos of the restaurant, Im thanked customers for support that he said was far greater than expected.

Im wrote that, thanks to supporters, he was finally able to open the restaurant and welcome customers. He said he felt 'moved beyond words' and a deep sense of responsibility after seeing customers arrive from 6 a.m. and wait for a long time.

He said first-day operations had not been smooth and asked for understanding. Im said many customers arrived at once, leaving the kitchen and dining room teams short in their response and causing service delays.

Im apologized to customers who had to leave without eating because ingredients ran out early. The restaurant drew a long line from its first day and closed early after ingredients were sold out around 12:15 p.m.

Im said the opening showed him the scale of customer support and clarified what the restaurant needed to improve. He said he would immediately reorganize kitchen and dining room movement, strengthen staff training and improve the ingredient supply system.

Im soft-opened the 3-story restaurant in Paju on July 6. He had announced the opening himself on social media, saying he had prepared each part carefully to return in better shape after the time people had waited.

Im appeared on Netflix's Culinary Class Wars 2. In January, he disclosed a drunk-driving history; later, a total of 6 prior records became known, including drunk driving 4 times, unlicensed driving 1 time and mutual assault. After the controversy grew, Im stopped broadcast activities and focused on YouTube work and preparing the restaurant opening.

I will quickly fill the gaps and protect the depth of the taste even more fiercely.

On your next visit, I will repay you with consistent taste and more mature service so you can feel 'it was worth the wait'.