Two days after a newspaper investigation revealed allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment at the Besh Restaurant Group, chef John Besh has stepped away from the company he created.
In a letter to restaurant company staff obtained by The Advocate, company executive Shannon White announced that Besh “has decided to step down from all aspects of operations and to provide his full focus on his family.”
White announced in the same letter that she has assumed the role of chief executive officer.
A spokesperson for the restaurant group confirmed that the letter was accurate. He could not comment on what Besh intends to do with his ownership stake in the company, which for now is still named the Besh Restaurant Group.
The move came in response to an exposé from NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune writer Brett Anderson documenting allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment from the top down at the company.
That story, posted online Saturday, shared accounts from current or former female employees at the Besh Restaurant Group describing a culture of sexual harassment.