In their Instagram post last Friday, the couple said they had conflicts with owner Stephan Roulland over the vision for Marlena, but were short on specific details. A week later, the chefs told SFGATE that a series of events led to their decision, including an unfavorable contract earlier in the year and opposition to the transfer of ownership of the Marlena name.
“The owner wanted to restructure [our] Deal that cost us money out of our pockets,” David told SFGATE. “We also tried to put the name Marlena in writing in this contract, but he refused. That was a real breach of trust for us. Then a lot of things got out of control.”
Ryan Cole, Marlena’s former restaurant consultant, told SFGATE that he drafted David and Serena’s original contract on Roulland’s behalf when Marlena opened in 2020. He called the deal “risky” but one that would be “very cheap for the owner” if the restaurant were to be a smash hit. Despite the hurdles caused by the pandemic, Marlena received a Michelin star in its first year of operation in 2021 and Esquire Magazine named Serena its Pastry Chef of the Year also in 2021.
But the awards didn’t change the renegotiation in 2023. When the new contract was unveiled in January, it changed the structure of chefs’ pay. They negotiated back and forth unsuccessfully for six weeks until the chefs delivered their letter of resignation in May. When Roulland asked if they would reconsider, they said they would only stay for a limited period of time on the condition that they could take possession of the Marlena name, which “we believe is rightfully ours,” he said serena
“It just left a really bad taste in our mouth,” Serena said of the contract until 2023. “At the end of those negotiations, we stated that we will pursue other options. Our relationship to [Roulland] was badly broken. It got to a point where it became really difficult to stay in that space.”
FILE: Chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher announced their departure from Michelin-starred restaurant Marlena on June 30.
Courtesy of Marlena Restaurant
Adding to the tension was Cole’s sudden firing in April, which happened unbeknownst to Serena and David.
Marlena was a personal project for David, who named the restaurant after his late mother. According to David, Roulland suggested giving the restaurant’s name “back to us one day.” It’s unclear when the owner’s mind changed.
In a statement, Roulland, who owns Bouillon LLC, told SFGATE that he considers Marlena to be a “significant corporate asset” and said he intends to reopen Marlena in August under the same name pending new leadership.
“When David and Serena joined this project and became employees of Bouillon LLC, we agreed to change the restaurant’s name to Marlena,” Roulland said. “Over the past three years, Bouillon has invested significant money, time and energy to strengthen the culinary vision and create a restaurant of significant value.” He added, “We would like to thank David and Serena for their invaluable contributions during their tenure Marlena, who was shaped by the challenges of the pandemic and wish them continued success.”
Chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher announced their departure from Michelin-starred restaurant Marlena on June 30.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Tensions at Marlena date back to April 2022 when the building underwent a soft refurbishment and transformation that was expected to last six weeks. The project would take more than five months to complete because Roulland reportedly failed to obtain the permits needed to begin the soft retrofit, Cole said.
“He hired some bad actors who didn’t do what they promised,” said Cole. “We were stuck in limbo and couldn’t do any work because there was no permit.”
To keep in touch with their customers, as part of the extensive renovations, David and Serena have opened a limited pop-up called “Summer Camp” at the Hotel Zeppelin. Cole said that despite the time and investment it took to operate, the pop-up was not a financial success. Marlena finally opened in September 2022, but the wait had strained the chefs’ relationship with the owner.
“Confidence has just deteriorated,” David told SFGATE.
Serena and David stressed that they never intended to leave Marlena but would stand by their decision given the pressure they felt to start negotiations. What you will miss most about Marlena’s operation is the Bernal Heights community that has welcomed it since it opened. Along the way, customers would visit the reasonably priced fine-dining restaurant to celebrate personal milestones or anniversaries.
“We had a good thing,” Serena said. “It’s hard to leave behind a whole network of people who have supported us.”
“That was our first baby,” added David. “It was very successful until the end.”
David and Serena plan to launch a new project called 7 Adams in collaboration with Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group this fall.