I own a Hamptons restaurant Kendall Jenner and J-Lo love – we get Hermes purses as gifts but I won’t accept diva demands
HE might be known for serving the Hamptons' rich and famous, but restauranteur Zach Erdem is even better at dishing on the behind-the-scenes scandals.
Let’s just say that there is a lot more beef going on in the kitchen than what goes into the bourguignon.
A native of Turkey, the hospitality entrepreneur has come a long way from working as a shepherd and living in cave, to having A-list clients and his own reality show.
From entitled customers to over-the-top gifts, he has seen – and served – it all.
When he first moved to America in 2002 at 21 years old, Zach was homeless.
He was forced to sleep in Grand Central Station, and then on the streets after being kicked out.
After a few weeks in Manhattan, a friend convinced him to explore the Hamptons instead.
A far cry from his hometown village of Erzurum, he could hardly afford a Diet Coke at the first restaurant he walked into.
But the owner – who happened to be sitting across from him - wanted the handsome foreigner to work as a .
He declined. “I didn’t want to be noticed. I was only interested in cleaning the bathrooms or being a dishwasher," Erdem exclusively told The U.S. Sun.
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He might have gotten away with being behind the scenes back then, but things are very different today.
Zack is now not only the owner and face of that very same restaurant – 75 Main in Southampton - but also in front of the camera.
Featured on the reality show Serving the Hamptons, that is about to go into its third season on Max, Zach spilled more than the beans on his billionaire guests.
At his restaurant, drama is a dish served cold.
One Saturday night, a couple sat at the bar and continued to get intoxicated.
When a family at a nearby table asked the rowdy pair to take things down a notch, a TV-worthy brawl began with punches and all.
It resulted in security being called and a table being broken.
And if you think having a Lamborghini will save you a space in his establishment, you can park your car – and attitude - elsewhere.
“Someone called me and told me to move another car so that he could fit in the lot and have a reserved table.
“I told him to never come back. I don’t tolerate that kind of entitlement. Every customer is the same to me.”
Another high-profile scion of Manhattan elite - and sports team owner - was not pleased with his table on a busy night and did not take well to being told that there were no outdoor tables available.
The well-known client moved tables three times, then cursed out staff until being asked to leave – and not come back.
One Oscar winner has been known to want total privacy while being seated - he once switched tables five times after being recognized by other customers, until they could no longer hide him.
Another difficult A-lister returned his pasta dish three times until finally going back into the kitchen to talk to the chef himself.
When one famous family ordered a cheap bottle of Cabernet, Zach sent over a more expensive bottle of wine which was not accepted.
They did not believe it when the server explained that it was a gift from the owner.
After a rapper returned his king crab roll 10 times because he mistakenly thought he had ordered sushi, Zach finally brought him rice on the side - and the celebrity made his own sushi at the table.
When it comes to celebrity sightings, 75 Main is always the main place to go - even for Kendall Jenner.
The model and reality star who came to the restaurant to promote her 818 Tequila line - and unexpectedly wound up bartending for over two hours.
The Kardashian sister tipped thousands of dollars to the staff before leaving.
Other A-list names known to drop by include Mark Wahlberg, who always makes it a point to come into the kitchen and hug the entire crew to show his appreciation.
Erdem says John Catsimatidis always requests a specific table to be set aside for him before he arrives – and generously thanks the waitstaff with a wad of cash.
He has even been known to pay others sitting at his table to leave so that he can have his prime spot.
Erdem might be there to serve his customers, but many of the reality star’s regulars send some things of their own.
“Our host has been gifted Louis Vuitton and Hermes bags, and some of my managers have received $1,000 spa day passes,” Zach explained.
Some of his longtime servers have even been known to get $1,000 tips on the side – as well as trips on boats and private dinner invitations.
Serving up to 1,500 meals a day overall in his restaurants, Erdem’s had his share of heat in his own kitchen.
“There was one crazy Saturday night when a VIP client came in and wanted a vegan burger.
“I realized it was approaching closing time but asked my executive chef if he could do me a favor before leaving."
Knowing how hard to please some clients can be, Zach pleaded with his employee – but all he got was a burger in his face.
He’s also had soapsuds thrown on him by a disgruntled dishwasher, who was fed up with entitled client demands.
Zach himself sometimes gets mistaken for the bus boy, since he’s always doing odd jobs around the restaurants.
It all traces back to the billionaire’s very humble beginnings.
He said: “You have to know everything, you can’t just act as a boss. The staff is also more motivated if the owner cleans the bathrooms and mops the floor.
“The owner of Nobu saw me cleaning the street once and after finding out who I was, asked me to do business with him.”
A typical day for Zach now includes hosting high-net-worth clientele like J-LO, who threw her birthday party at 75 Main.
“I have to make sure everything is seamless – I’ll install TV cameras everywhere before an event and there is always extra security," he said.
It didn’t take long for TV show offers to pour in.
“A woman who had hosted a book launch in my restaurant approached me about the show.
“She said 'you have celebrities and billionaires sitting in your restaurant on a daily basis – I want others to get a glimpse into this world.'
“They enjoy the drama and our personal lives and checking out who's stopping by,” he said of the show.
His secret to scrumptious success?
“I didn’t spend my time chasing women or drugs or going to clubs – I chased my dreams and stayed focused on my plan.”
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More drama is about to be dished out as Zach is currently filming season three of Serving the Hamptons.
They recently filmed star Victoria Hilton - aka Queen of The Hamptons - walking in William Quigley’s Skrapper Fashion Show at his eponymous art gallery.
