62-year-old Gambian immigrant Ali Sonko has been a dishwasher at one of the world’s top restaurants, #Noma, for 10 years. The company is getting ready to relaunch at a new location and co-founder René Redzepi decided to bless Sonko and two others with a partnership in the company.
Redzepi refers to Sonko as “the heart and soul of Noma” and told Danish newspaper #Berlingske that he doesn’t “think people appreciate what it means to have a person like Ali in the house.”
He later took to Instagram in order to let everyone in on the news.
“It gives me incredible joy to let the world know that our restaurant managers Lau and James, and our dishwasher, Ali, have become partners in Noma,” he wrote. “This is only the beginning, as we plan to surprise several more of our staff with a piece of the walls that they have chosen to work so hard within. This move is one of the happiest moments of my time at Noma.”
CNN:
“The acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant captured the “World’s Best Restaurant” title for three consecutive years between 2010 and 2012, and then again in 2014.
Sonko was not able to travel to the 2010 award ceremony, reportedly because he couldn’t get a visa. The restaurant’s team accepted their prize while wearing t-shirts with Sonko’s face printed on them.
When the restaurant won the prize again in 2012, Sonko was in attendance.”
What an amazing gesture!! Also, Ali doesn’t look a bit of 62! #BlackDontCrack
TSR STAFF: Talia O. @theclosetratchet on Instagram & @tallyohhh on Twitter!
Source: http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/01/news/restaurant-noma-dishwasher-partner/index.html