One of the co-owners of a popular downtown Ferndale restaurant has reportedly stepped down from daily operations amid a social media backlash over sexual harassment allegations.
On Thursday night, Imperial posted on its Facebook page that the owners have accepted Jeff King's resignation as operations manager. Imperial's Facebook page appeared to have been taken down shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday.
Imperial, known for its tacos, Sonoran hot dogs and tequila, is operated by the Working Class Outlaws group, which also owns Antihero and the Public House in Ferndale. The group also has a food truck.
Many of the accusations that have popped up in recent days on social media are aimed at King, who remains one of four owners of the restaurant group.
A message left on King's phone earlier Thursday by the Free Press was not returned.
The resignation comes a day after the owners posted on the Imperial Facebook page that they were "shocked" by the allegations that had surfaced on social media and were investigating.
"In the last 24 hours, we’ve been blindsided by the allegations made by former employees," Imperial said Wednesday night on Facebook. "Honestly, we’re shocked. We’ve spent the last 24 hours investigating these claims internally and evaluating our processes and procedures to find validation to substantiate the allegations set forth on social media. We’re also trying to process and understand the base of these claims."
By Thursday afternoon, there were nearly 400 comments on Imperial's post, many critical of the restaurant owners. Accusations ranged from calling the restaurant a "toxic culture" to allegations of sexual harassment and racism. There are also comments accusing staffers of not wearing gloves and masks and of Imperial covering up COVID-19 cases.
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Imperial's response on its Facebook page apparently came after the accusation first surfaced on other Facebook pages and on Reddit.
According to the post, Imperial will be closed until July 9 to re-evaluate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's recent order closing inside bar service at most Michigan bars and restaurants. Antihero, according to its website, is closed.
The Free Press reached out to several employees who declined to speak on the record. The owners did not respond to multiple calls and messages left at the restaurant by the Free Press on Thursday and a message left on Imperial's Facebook page.
Contact food writer Susan Selasky: 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
A previous version of this story reported Imperial was on 9 mile, the correct location is Woodward.
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