Michelin-Starred Konro Restaurant Temporarily Closed After Chef's Arrest

Konro, West Palm Beach's only Michelin-starred restaurant, has temporarily closed following the arrest of its chef, Jacob Bickelhaupt, on domestic violence charges.

On June 2, West Palm Beach police arrested Bickelhaupt on felony charges of aggravated battery causing bodily harm and domestic battery. An arrest report detailed the woman's injuries, allegedly inflicted over a two-hour period, which resulted in a subdural hematoma (a collection of blood outside the brain) that required emergency surgery. A week later, her condition remains unknown. [The woman’s friend has set up a GoFundMe to help support her recovery].

Days after the arrest, the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office filed additional criminal counts against Bickelhaupt, accusing him of violating a court-issued no-contact order by calling the woman on two occasions following his arrest. According to police, during both calls, he asked her to help pay his bail.

As Bickelhaupt remains in a Palm Beach County jail on a $90,000 bond, operations at Konro, his chef's-table omakase establishment in West Palm Beach, appear to be on hold.

The restaurant is listed as "temporarily closed" on the Michelin Guide website and appears to have been removed from OpenTable's reservation platform.
The restaurant has not responded to New Times' requests for comment via email and Instagram DM.

The chef's recent domestic violence arrest was his second in the past decade. The first instance involved his first wife.

In June 2017, Bickelhaupt assaulted Alexa Welsh, his ex-wife and business partner, in the parking lot of their two-Michelin-star fine-dining restaurant in Chicago, 42 Grams, dragging her by the hair and striking her with a bottle. Later that night, he posted a tweet from the restaurant's account announcing its closure. He later pleaded guilty to battery.

Bickelhaupt attempted a comeback in Denver, Colorado, with an underground supper club, Konro, followed by another restaurant, Stone Flower, in 2019. He also sued Welsh for going public about the assault, which he claimed cost him $250,000 in lost business. He eventually dropped the lawsuit.

In 2021, Stone Flower closed.
The following year, Bickelhaupt and his second wife moved to West Palm Beach and announced plans to open a restaurant there. Konro debuted in October 2023 and earned a Michelin star in April of this year.

The restaurant is located inside the newly developed Flamingo Park Market off South Dixie Highway, near the Norton Museum of Art. A dinner at Konro with a drink pairing costs $735 per person ($440 per person without the pairing).

"Bold cooking takes center stage here, where an affinity for rich, umami-packed dishes surprise[s] diners. Meals begin with snacks; the foie gras mousse in a chicken-skin cone is a highlight," Michelin noted of the restaurant. "The chef's creativity is displayed in dishes like barley risotto with enoki mushrooms, caramelized crispy fried onions, and black truffle shavings, served in a golden egg."

Following Bickelhaupt's arrest, comments on Konro's Instagram account appear to have been disabled.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline number is 800-799-7233 (SAFE). Counselors can also provide support via online chat. The confidential services are available 24/7.