Gabe Killian, the co-owner of the Raging Hot Chicken pop-up in L.A., has admitted to calling out customers and Yelp reviewers. (Gabe Killian/Instagram)
The chicken isn’t the only thing “raging” over at L.A.’s Raging Hot Chicken restaurant: Gabe Killian, the co-owner of the pop-up Nashville-style sandwich shop, has confirmed to Eater that he recently threatened at least one customer for leaving a negative Yelp review about his establishment.
“I’m an idiot for engaging in conversation with them and learned my lesson, but have nothing to hide,” Killian told Eater.
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Killian reportedly admitted to the less-than-hospitable behavior after being presented with evidence of his direct messages to the reviewer, in which he called the man a “piece of s---“ and warned him he was he was “gambling with his life.” Killian later reached out to the customer on Facebook, where he added that the customer had picked “the wrong person to be f---ing with.”
Killian has attacked other reviewers as well but claimed that he only does so because he believes most negative reviewers to be trolls who haven’t actually eaten at his restaurant.
“I’ve threatened many people on the internet who have never been to my restaurant … I see nothing wrong in telling someone I believe to be a troll to f--- off,” he told Eater, later adding that “anyone who cares about me talking s--- to a troll is a giant, politically correct, millennial p----.”
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Killian — also a stand-up comedian and mixed martial arts enthusiast — admitted that the customer he threatened with violence had indeed eaten at Raging Hot Chicken. Nevertheless, Killian says the man will be “knocked into unconsciousness” if they ever cross paths.
Eater further reported that Killian was suspicious of Yelp’s algorithm regarding which reviews it allows and which it hides, but Killian himself has appeared to rely on Yelp for restaurant recommendations in the past, as documented on YouTube.
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Negative reviews and Killian’s comments aside, Raging Hot Chicken currently boasts a four-star rating on Yelp.
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