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Celebrity chef Rikku O’Donnchu, who runs the popular Woodstock restaurant Riku Chef’s Counter has been klapped with a R30 million damages claim for breach of contract by a US restaurant.

According to the Montana-based restaurant, Stone Hill Kitchen (SHK), chef Rikku left the eatery two and a half months after being appointed executive chef in order to join Pennsylvania fine-dining experience Amorette.

Furious at the chef for running out on his R1.8 million per year job at Stone Hill Kitchen, the family-owned business dragged O’Donnchu to an ‘arbitration hearing’, which resulted in an R30.3 million damages claim against the chef.

Citing “tortious interference with business relations, constructive fraud, fraud and misappropriation of trade documents”, the American Arbitration Association awarded the US restaurant $596,813 (R10.9 million), with an additional $576,983 (R10.5 million) for breach of contract.

Spicing the wound with more salt, the tenderised chef was also slapped with $400,000 (R7.3 million) in punitive damages and $65,200 (R1.9 million) in legal fees.

News24 reports that, according to the transcript of the arbitration hearing, O’Donnchu, “through his words and actions, represented to SHK that he intended to remain in its employ”.

“O’Donnchu knew that he did not intend to remain at SHK. He submitted his résumé for the executive chef opening at Amorette prior to 29 March 2021. He began soliciting employees to join him at Amorette on or before 15 April 2021. Amorette sent confirmation to Rikku of his acceptance of the executive chef post on 20 April 2021.”

According to Stone Hill Kitchen, the chef spilt ‘trade secrets’ to Amorette in order “to further his career opportunities with them”.

“He disclosed SHK’s trade secrets by sending Amorette menu ideas that were generated while he was an employee of SHK. He did not seek or receive SHK’s permission to disclose these trade secrets which were SHK’s property.”

O’Donnchu hit back by saying “Why would I be using bistro recipes in fine dining restaurants?”

SHK’s general manager, Stephanie Meyers, claims that after some deliberations over salary, O’Donnchu signed his final employment agreement with SHK for a period of three years, which was just about the time the US wanted to place a COVID travel ban on South Africa. The restaurant acted quickly, and funded O’Donnchu’s travel costs to the US. On 29 January 2021, the chef took up his duties at the restaurant.

“Within days of commencement of his services, O’Donnchu mentioned to a group of people assembled in the dining room of SHK that a representative from Eleven Madison in New York [one of the world’s best restaurants] had been texting him, asking if he was in the US, and inviting him to come and work in New York.”

SHK had by this time already launched an extensive marketing campaign with Chef Rikku and his unique creations as a major drawcard. They also reminded the chef that any move to New York would require his new employers to buy him out of his contract.

“Unbeknown to SHK, while he was insisting on a kitchen remodel, he was engaged in active discussions with Amorette to join the Amorette team as executive and/or patron chef.”

Two months later he applied for the executive chef position at Amorette at an increased salary of $120,00 per year.

He worked at Amorette for about six months, leading to a very enigmatic and slightly disturbing promo video.

Not too sure what the scorpions and centipedes symbolise, must be a celebrity chef thing.

Anyways, according to SHK, the restaurant had to close soon after his departure until they were able to appoint a new chef in his place.

“It took SHK almost nine months to recover its customer base and rebuild local word of mouth that SHK was an available dining option at the quality it was prior to its closure.”

O’Donnchu has in the meantime spoken to News24, claiming that he was unable to find accommodation in Montana for himself and his family.

“I told the owner of the restaurant that we can’t get accommodation and he said I can live in his basement. So, we decided we didn’t want to work with him anymore. As far as I am concerned, he breached the contract first because he was expecting me to live in his basement.”

“It wasn’t like a fulltime position. I was just setting up the restaurant. I left SHK because I said that unless accommodation can be found and the direction of the restaurant changes, what’s the point of me working there?

“What I signed up for was coming here and doing something unique for Montana, a concept I had attached my name to, but that wasn’t the case.”

Describing it as “a salmon and potatoes, burger steak with a little puree place”, O’Donnchu also claims the restaurant was not in good condition when he took up his position, saying that he did propose upgrades to the tune of $120,000 (R2.1 million).

O’Donnchu says the owner of SHK “got his ego broken because he wanted to keep me there as his little prize, a sort of award-winning chef”.

During this time, his partner’s parents were in South Africa, and they returned.

It was at this time that Riku Chef’s Counter in Woodstock was opened, although O’Donnchu emphasised that does not own the spot, but merely lends his name to it and runs the joint for the owners.

For now, O’Donnchu says he simply does not have the funds to cover the judgment. Webber Wentzel had in the meantime been trying to serve papers to the chef in March 2024, but even their tracing agents have not been able to locate him.

Chef Riku however says he intends to fight the judgement from the UK, being a British citizen, as he will be entitled to legal aid there.

Sheesh, this sounds like a right mess.

[source:news24]