Inside the shocking rise and fall of one of the wildest restaurants California has ever seen

A young transgender cook of color, Kim said Hi Felicia, which opened at 326 23rd St. last April, was the first restaurant where they didn’t feel tokenized or othered.

They saw their own dreams in Hi Felicia’s 26-year-old owner, Imana, who uses just her first name. The staff, almost entirely people of color and many queer-identifying, wore crop tops and blasted music while serving a $195 tasting menu to diners clamoring to experience Imana’s much-celebrated vision of “vulgar” fine dining.

“That was one of the first times I was in a place where I could look around and say that I felt seen,” Kim said. “I really wanted to be that person that made a monumental change in the industry.”

But that dream quickly died. After just three months, Kim left Hi Felicia drained and disillusioned, feeling that the restaurant — and its owner — had failed them.

Fourteen former Hi Felicia employees, including managers, servers, cooks, wine directors and a dishwasher, told The Chronicle they experienced a toxic work environment rife with some of the very problems the restaurant had set out to correct.

Two former employees said Imana touched their butts multiple times and made inappropriate comments at work, including about the genitalia of an employee who had gender-affirming surgery.

Bounced paychecks and reductions in pay caused financial stress, several employees said. Health insurance promised in an employee handbook never materialized, multiple employees said.

Interesting Op. I need to google this restaurant.

Wasn't there a similar restaurant in NYC? It closed all of a sudden as well.

I loved this article, very gossipy.

Is there a no -paywalled version available?

"A cook of color."

What is "'vulgar' fine dining"? The place sounds dreadful in every possible way.

OT: but speaking of expensive restaurants:

Do discerning French people go to Maxim’s, or is it just tourists?

It's a free read on computers, not smartphones. No account needed. I enjoyed reading this, well written and researched by the reporters.

Breaking news: insufferable, entitled, and exhausting restaurant owner creates insufferable, gimmicky, and exhausting work environment! Film at 11!

Did the employees not smell trouble when they learned that

[quote]Hi Felicia was born without any rules, Imana said. [quote]

Once you're about 5, you should have grown out of the idea that "no rules" is what it takes to create happiness.

The owner has a big personality, little self control and even less business sense. Messy.

Most glaring problems with this experiment? People were harassed and they didn't get paid. Checks bounced.

The article infers some of the food was pre-made and purchased from Whole Food.

R10, that sounds like a lot of restaurants, woke and ridiculous or not.

R10 an article cannot "infer" something - perhaps you meant 'imply.'

This article is nuts.

[Quote] Though Imana presented herself as executive chef, staff who worked at both her apartment and the restaurant said they never saw her cook. Imana often publicly cited her experience at Michelin-starred restaurants Coi and Californios, without specifying she had worked brief stints there as a server, not in the kitchens.

Here is the datalounge discussion about the New York restaurant, similar concept but unrelated

HAGS, you in danger, gurl.

300 dollars for a menu of amuse-bouche is ridiculous

I'm feeling exhausted and unsafe after reading that.

I can’t bring myself to read it because I’m no so triggered.

I'd rather be in the missing sub than deal with this shit.

"Hi Felicia was born without any rules, Imana said. [quote]"

People who say that generally mean no rules for themselves, but they're quick to turn control freak with others.

And I had a look at their food online, this is the only picture of a plate that will load. Unimpressive to look at.

No one will miss High Felicia or Iwanna.

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