What was the 2017 scandal surrounding John Besh? Celebrity chef returns to open a new seafood restaurant 

Celebrity chef and restauranteur John Besh has returned to the public eye after a seven-year hiatus and is all set to open a brand-new food joint at the riverfront-facing Spanish Plaza in New Orleans called Delacroix Fish Camp & Bar. It will stand in the location where Poppy’s Crazy Lobster was previously situated.

He is planning to inaugurate the new restaurant in early 2025 ahead of the Super Bowl in February. Sources cite the menu will focus on local seafood and regional dishes and will include an oyster bar.

Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of s*xual harassment. Discretion is advised.

John Besh’s comeback comes years after his 2017 scandal when multiple women accused him and his company of s*xual harassment and creating a toxic work culture.

A netizen posted about John Besh's new venture. (Image via X/ chamiller_1989)

Currently, the 56-year-old is working from behind the scenes to open his new restaurant with the help of his longtime business partner Octavio Mantilla.

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Exploring past allegations against John Besh

In October 2017, John Besh stepped down as the CEO of his company Besh Restaurant Group (BRG), in the wake of s*xual misconduct allegations against him and the firm. The accusations were brought forth by at least 25 current and former female employees, as part of an 8-month-long investigative report conducted by The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com, with the help of restaurant critic Brett Anderson.

Back then, Anderson told Kelly McEvers during an interview that in February of that year, he got a “tip” from a friend who informed him that one of their mutual acquaintances resigned from her job in an executive role at the Besh Restaurant Group citing harassment. Later, over two dozen women employees came forward with similar complaints. One complaint read,

“I, and other similarly situated females, were harassed, s*xually harassed, and verbally assaulted almost every day… with un-welcomed touching and s*xual advances… that were condoned and sometimes encouraged by managers and supervisors.”

Subsequently, one particular female worker claimed she was in a “long-term unwelcome s*xual relationship” with John Besh himself.

Reportedly, the woman filed a discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and alleged that she often accompanied the James Beard Award winner on work trips where she often felt “overwhelmed” because of her relationship with her boss. The alleged victim further mentioned that when she attempted to end the relationship, she experienced “retaliation on the job.”

Nine complainants who did not wish to remain anonymous also claimed that the company harbored “several male co-workers and bosses [who] touched female employees without consent, made suggestive comments about their appearance and — in a few cases — tried to leverage positions of authority for s*x.” Chef Alon Shaya, who was in the middle of a split from BRG, was also named as part of the culture.

John Besh stepped away from overseeing the day-to-day operations but remained on as a partner. Shannon White replaced him as the CEO of Besh Restaurant Group, which was subsequently renamed BRG Hospitality.

John Besh issued a statement claiming that he conducted a “consensual relationship” with a female employee, and held himself “entirely responsible for my moral feelings.” He also said his behavior and actions were “unacceptable” considering he was a company’s head, alongside being a husband and a father.

Meanwhile, BRG general counsel Raymond Landry told the publications that published the misconduct report that they were aware some employees did not feel that they “receive the respect they deserve” while on the job, but never received a formal internal complaint.

“Now that we have learned of these concerns, we believe going forward that everyone at our company will be fully aware of the clear procedures that are now in place to safeguard against anyone feeling that his or her concerns will not be heard and addressed free from retaliation,” Landry noted.

For those unaware, BRG Hospitality continues to be the largest restaurant chain in New Orleans and includes dine-outs such as August, Domenica, Luke, Shaya, Willa Jean, and The Larder.