This Chef Uses Memes to Call Out the Restaurant Industry — and He's Turning Online Influence into Real-World Change Chef Eli Sussman discusses what drives him to keep opening restaurants, an unexpected collaboration and his rise to meme royalty.
By Shawn P. Walchef Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Eli Sussman's unfiltered humor helped turn industry critiques into opportunities, such as his collab with Baldor Speciality Foods, where jokes about late deliveries led to a merch partnership.
- Sussman uses eye-catching memes to garner attention and highlight restaurant industry issues, such as unpaid stages and outdated hierarchies.
- Although his fast-casual Samesa restaurant didn't scale as planned, its closure made him a better owner and leader, paving the way for new ventures like Alo's.
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Eli Sussman isn't afraid to call out the restaurant industry. As a chef, operator and content creator, he's built a career that blends hospitality with digital influence. He's opened restaurants, seen failures and used humor to spark industry conversations — often on social media.
Sussman's background is rooted in food. He and his brother, Max, have spent their careers in kitchens, running restaurants and building their brands. Sussman co-founded Samesa, a Mediterranean fast-casual concept, and now leads Gertrude's in Brooklyn.
But beyond his work as a chef, Sussman has become a digital voice for those in the trenches of the restaurant world. His approach? Memes.
Sussman's Instagram feed is filled with sharp, relatable posts that highlight the everyday realities of restaurant life. His biggest targets are outdated traditions within the restaurant hierarchy.
"The meme is a perfect format to encapsulate a lot of emotion into one succinct sentence or one complete visual," Sussman tells Restaurant Influencers podcast host Shawn Walchef. "It lets me articulate my frustrations and spark conversations in the industry."
Whether it's chefs refusing to pay interns or clinging to an outdated mentality, he's using humor to push the industry forward in a positive direction.
Sussman doesn't just critique — he sets examples. His partnership with Baldor Specialty Foods started with memes poking fun at late deliveries, a common chef frustration. Instead of taking offense, Baldor embraced it. The company worked with Sussman to create a limited-edition merch drop that quickly sold out.
"I basically talked enough shit on the internet until I fell backward into a partnership with them," Sussman jokes. "But really, it shows that brands willing to lean in and laugh at themselves can actually connect better with chefs."
The takeaway? More brands should engage with industry personalities instead of shying away. The success of the Baldor collaboration proves that authenticity and digital storytelling drive real engagement.
Related: Your Guests All Want the Same Thing, Says This Hotel Food and Beverage Consultant — Here's What
Learning through failure
Sussman's ability to adapt stems from experience. His restaurant, Samesa, never scaled as he envisioned. Despite its strong concept, it struggled to establish itself in the competitive fast-casual restaurant landscape.
"I thought Samesa was going to be a fast-casual powerhouse, but I couldn't hang with the big guys," Sussman admits.
Rather than dwelling on the setback, he refined his approach, leading to the success of Gertrude's in Brooklyn.
Now, he's applying those lessons to Alo's Ann Arbor, an Italian-American spot that's also a family operation. Samesa's failures provided a roadmap for smarter decisions.
Sussman's strongest connection remains with his family. He's opening Alo's with his brother, just as they've built restaurants together in the past. And now, as a new dad, he sees the restaurant world through a fresh lens.
Running a kitchen and raising a child require patience, structure and adaptability. Whether mentoring a line cook or managing a sleepless night, the lessons carry over.
His philosophy is simple: Listen, learn and keep trying. Whether it's a restaurant, a meme, or a merch drop, Sussman isn't afraid to take risks. "Every failure has made me a better owner."
Related: To Make the Perfect Cocktail, You Need Collaboration. It's the Same When You Own a Restaurant.
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