Nomad Group Parts With Co-Founder Alan Yazbek

Alan Yazbek is “no longer involved” with managing the Nomad Group, the hospitality business he co-founded with his wife Rebecca Yazbek. Until yesterday, the pair were behind Sydney’s Nomad and recently closed wine bar Beau , plus Nomad , Reine and La Rue in Melbourne.

The departure follows Alan’s arrest and subsequent charge for displaying a Nazi symbol in public. On Sunday October 6, at a Surry Hills rally to protest the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the restaurateur carried a sign depicting Israel’s flag with the Star of David replaced with the banned symbol. He pled guilty in court today.

Rebecca issued a statement yesterday via Instagram and email:

“Two weeks ago our co-director, Al Yazbek, behaved in a way that offended a lot of people. We deeply regret the impact his actions have had on the community, and for that we sincerely apologise. As a result, he is no longer involved in the management of the business.

“As both his wife and business partner, I was furious with his actions and heartbroken by the harm they caused. I fully understand the disappointment and frustration felt by those affected and I am committed to doing everything possible to restore your trust.”

The statement came after GH Mumm and Goldman Sachs cut ties with Nomad Group and cancelled upcoming events.

We can always rely on corporations to act quickly to avoid second-hand reputational damage. But comments being disabled across all Nomad Group social media accounts suggests public sentiment is perhaps as bad as the media has reported.

Is the immediate departure of a director and founder – pre-court appearance – enough to start restoring that trust? And in times of crisis, what can restaurants do more generally to regain the public’s confidence? The public is less and less willing to support businesses that don’t share their values or standards of behaviour.

The Sydney restaurant scene in particular has been rocked by several recent reports, ranging from inappropriate to criminal. In September, following the SMH ’s investigation into its culture , Swillhouse announced it had appointed ex-Solotel CEO Justine Baker as a strategic adviser. Baker joined a “culture and transformation” consultant and a workplace health and safety consultant at the group behind Hubert, Le Foote and others.

We’ll find out in coming months whether the public views such moves as genuine. In the meantime, expect to see more groups grappling with how to restore lost trust and keep bums on seats.