Why René Redzepi Needed to Close the Original Noma
Photo Caption: René Redzepi on stage with Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali discussing the future of dining out.
Skift Take
It's clear that Redzepi's stints in Japan, Australia, and Mexico have been crucial in helping him develop new ideas. The new Noma will be very different from the old one, but that's a good thing.
Closing one of the world’s most influential restaurants might have seemed like a risky move but for René Redzepi it was something he had to do.
Copenhagen-based Noma had been in operation for 12 years attracting wild praise and taking the prize for Best Restaurant in the World four times, when Redzepi announced it would shut its doors.
About 18 months later it served its last meal and Redzepi and his team decamped to Tulum, Mexico to open one of his famous pop-ups.
A new Noma will open in 2018 and Redzepi says his decision to close the previous incarnation and travel to Central America were are all part of the same creative process.