'I’m paying your wages, so f*** off’: Clash between restaurateur and council sparks debate
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Tensions between a popular Sydney restaurant owner and local council have reached boiling point in a clash that’s stirring debate across the city.
What started as a disagreement over footpath use has exploded into a fiery exchange that’s now drawn in the Lord Mayor herself.
The fallout has raised questions about public space, small business support, and the fine line between passion and protocol.
Tensions between a Sydney restaurant owner and City of Sydney Council boiled over in a public altercation that left both sides defending their actions.
Nahji Chu, owner of the Potts Point eatery Lady Chu, found herself in a heated standoff with council rangers who visited her venue on a busy Saturday night.
In a video provided to media by Ms Chu, she confronted the rangers mid-service, saying: ‘I’m trying to activate a dead city and you’re trying to f****** shut it down.’
She added: ‘I’m not a f****** naughty school kid, so don’t speak to me like that.’
When one of the rangers attempted to reply, Ms Chu cut him off, saying: ‘I need respect. And respect what I do, please.’
Her outburst continued with: ‘I’m paying f****** taxes and I’m paying your wages, so f*** off. I’m trying to activate this f****** dead city, so don’t shut it down.’
The dispute centred on the placement of planters outside Lady Chu, which council said were obstructing pedestrian access.
The restaurant, located on Roslyn Street, had received multiple approvals for outdoor dining that allowed for a 53m² trading area without impeding the footpath.
Council maintained that Ms Chu had extended beyond those approved boundaries, prompting complaints from the community.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore later responded to the incident in a stern message published on social media.
‘This week you might have seen video or news reports in which City staff were abused for responding to community complaints about footpath access,’ she wrote.
‘I want to give you an update and make a request: please treat our staff with respect and civility…We always work collaboratively with businesses to balance their requests and the community’s needs, and our planning staff have met with Lady Chu multiple times.’
Ms Moore added: ‘Roslyn St is narrow, and it’s not possible to maintain Federal Discrimination Act accessibility standards as well as all its dining tables, planters and umbrellas.’
‘We have repeatedly asked Lady Chu to remove some of the unapproved planters or the umbrellas to ensure there is enough space for pedestrians. It’s not a private courtyard, it’s a public footpath—people should not be forced onto the road, especially people in a wheelchair or with a pram.’
A City of Sydney spokesperson said staff had respectfully asked Ms Chu to move unapproved items and had no intention of disrupting dinner service.
‘Despite this respectful approach, the City staff received a torrent of abuse,’ the spokesperson said.
The Council confirmed it had made multiple attempts to resolve the issue through meetings and by offering extended outdoor dining approvals.
‘We always work collaboratively with the businesses to balance desire for additional items and the needs of the community to access this public footpath,’ the spokesperson said.
Ms Chu, however, stood by her remarks and accused the City of being ‘really pedantic and petty’.
She admitted the plants were placed outside the approved boundary by ‘only one metre’.
‘And (council) won’t approve it where I would like to place them—which makes more sense to me—and they keep going on about the two-metre clearance thing,’ she said.
She argued her setup improved safety and visibility along the street.
‘It just makes more sense that they’re right up against the kerb because it creates a barrier, and then the cars can see that that’s where the kerb finishes and starts,’ she said.
‘And also, two people (walking) hand-in-hand can still get past. They can get past if the plants were further in. But if the plants were further out, it’s actually still exactly the same amount of space.’
Ms Chu said rangers should have made an appointment instead of showing up unannounced during service.
She claimed they gestured dismissively and spoke down to her, which triggered her angry response.
‘Like, do not speak to me like that, I’m sorry. I’m not a naughty schoolgirl. Don’t gesticulate with your little finger, coming in here,’ she said.
‘(City of Sydney) need to respect me and what I’ve done for this community. I’m the one paying taxes and their wages, if you don’t mind. So do not speak to me like (I’m) a naughty schoolgirl. (I told them to) please make an appointment to see me and come back when it’s not so busy.’
Ms Chu accused some locals of racially motivated complaints and claimed she was being targeted because of her background.
‘I think the people who are making these complaints are old men, or just old people in general. They’re born and bred Potts Point and there’s a Vietnamese refugee doing well in the area and they don’t want a bar of it,’ she said.
She added: ‘That’s what happens when you become high-profile and successful.’
Ms Chu also claimed she frequently endured abuse from passers-by opposed to the gentrification of Kings Cross.
‘They walk past and they go, “You’re a f****** idiot”, “What’s the white tablecloths, you c***?”,’ she said.
‘It happens to me every day. They go, “My rent went up because of you, you f****** c***”. And I just go, “Oh, just so you know, I’m actually the one paying taxes so that you can be on the dole” …This area is littered with crazies.’
She said the environment had pushed her to adopt a more aggressive persona in return.
‘Kings Cross is just littered with (people who use) profanities—and so I become that woman (who uses) profanities, too,’ she said.
‘Now I’m just swearing all the time like they are, and it just becomes a normal, everyday language…And the council comes out, then I go, “Get f*****”. It’s kind of like a war zone.’
She said she had no regrets about the confrontation and would not back down.
‘I don’t care if I get into trouble,’ she said.
‘I’ve made you look bad because you made me look bad. Game on. If (council’s) going to pick on me, I’ll on you back. Like, you don’t poke a bear and expect it remain calm.’
‘And then the council’s going, “Well, our staff have remained calm whilst you blew up and explicitly told them to get f*****”. I said, “Yes, I did actually, because you dropped a bomb on me and then you asked me to remain calm”. No, f*** off.’
The City of Sydney spokesperson said: ‘We commend our staff for remaining calm and professional throughout the process and we request the community act respectfully when interacting with all City of Sydney staff.’
They added that since November 2020, nearly 1000 outdoor dining applications had been approved, benefiting over 800 businesses.
The waived fees, totalling an estimated $20 million, had provided substantial support to local hospitality operators.
‘We will continue to work with this business to ensure it can enjoy the free use of city footpaths while understanding its obligation to maintain sufficient space for others, including those pushing prams or for wheelchairs,’ the spokesperson said.
Ms Chu said she had no plans to comply with council’s orders.
‘I would rather go to jail than remove the plants,’ she said.
‘So (council can) give me the fine and I’ll either pay it or, preferably, I will dispute it in court so that I can change this draconian law once and for all.’
In a previous story, we explored another clash between local businesses and council regulations.
The ongoing tension over public space shows no signs of easing.
Read on to see how a new council crackdown on parking spaces could affect you.
With tensions this high between small businesses and local councils, how do you think cities should balance community needs with supporting vibrant street life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
What started as a disagreement over footpath use has exploded into a fiery exchange that’s now drawn in the Lord Mayor herself.
The fallout has raised questions about public space, small business support, and the fine line between passion and protocol.
Tensions between a Sydney restaurant owner and City of Sydney Council boiled over in a public altercation that left both sides defending their actions.
Nahji Chu, owner of the Potts Point eatery Lady Chu, found herself in a heated standoff with council rangers who visited her venue on a busy Saturday night.
In a video provided to media by Ms Chu, she confronted the rangers mid-service, saying: ‘I’m trying to activate a dead city and you’re trying to f****** shut it down.’
Sydney restaurant owner clashes with council rangers. Image source: FacebookNahji Chu
She added: ‘I’m not a f****** naughty school kid, so don’t speak to me like that.’
When one of the rangers attempted to reply, Ms Chu cut him off, saying: ‘I need respect. And respect what I do, please.’
Her outburst continued with: ‘I’m paying f****** taxes and I’m paying your wages, so f*** off. I’m trying to activate this f****** dead city, so don’t shut it down.’
The dispute centred on the placement of planters outside Lady Chu, which council said were obstructing pedestrian access.
The restaurant, located on Roslyn Street, had received multiple approvals for outdoor dining that allowed for a 53m² trading area without impeding the footpath.
Council maintained that Ms Chu had extended beyond those approved boundaries, prompting complaints from the community.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore later responded to the incident in a stern message published on social media.
‘This week you might have seen video or news reports in which City staff were abused for responding to community complaints about footpath access,’ she wrote.
‘I want to give you an update and make a request: please treat our staff with respect and civility…We always work collaboratively with businesses to balance their requests and the community’s needs, and our planning staff have met with Lady Chu multiple times.’
Ms Moore added: ‘Roslyn St is narrow, and it’s not possible to maintain Federal Discrimination Act accessibility standards as well as all its dining tables, planters and umbrellas.’
‘We have repeatedly asked Lady Chu to remove some of the unapproved planters or the umbrellas to ensure there is enough space for pedestrians. It’s not a private courtyard, it’s a public footpath—people should not be forced onto the road, especially people in a wheelchair or with a pram.’
A City of Sydney spokesperson said staff had respectfully asked Ms Chu to move unapproved items and had no intention of disrupting dinner service.
‘Despite this respectful approach, the City staff received a torrent of abuse,’ the spokesperson said.
The Council confirmed it had made multiple attempts to resolve the issue through meetings and by offering extended outdoor dining approvals.
‘We always work collaboratively with the businesses to balance desire for additional items and the needs of the community to access this public footpath,’ the spokesperson said.
Ms Chu, however, stood by her remarks and accused the City of being ‘really pedantic and petty’.
She admitted the plants were placed outside the approved boundary by ‘only one metre’.
‘And (council) won’t approve it where I would like to place them—which makes more sense to me—and they keep going on about the two-metre clearance thing,’ she said.
She argued her setup improved safety and visibility along the street.
‘It just makes more sense that they’re right up against the kerb because it creates a barrier, and then the cars can see that that’s where the kerb finishes and starts,’ she said.
‘And also, two people (walking) hand-in-hand can still get past. They can get past if the plants were further in. But if the plants were further out, it’s actually still exactly the same amount of space.’
Ms Chu said rangers should have made an appointment instead of showing up unannounced during service.
She claimed they gestured dismissively and spoke down to her, which triggered her angry response.
‘Like, do not speak to me like that, I’m sorry. I’m not a naughty schoolgirl. Don’t gesticulate with your little finger, coming in here,’ she said.
‘(City of Sydney) need to respect me and what I’ve done for this community. I’m the one paying taxes and their wages, if you don’t mind. So do not speak to me like (I’m) a naughty schoolgirl. (I told them to) please make an appointment to see me and come back when it’s not so busy.’
Ms Chu accused some locals of racially motivated complaints and claimed she was being targeted because of her background.
‘I think the people who are making these complaints are old men, or just old people in general. They’re born and bred Potts Point and there’s a Vietnamese refugee doing well in the area and they don’t want a bar of it,’ she said.
She added: ‘That’s what happens when you become high-profile and successful.’
Ms Chu also claimed she frequently endured abuse from passers-by opposed to the gentrification of Kings Cross.
‘They walk past and they go, “You’re a f****** idiot”, “What’s the white tablecloths, you c***?”,’ she said.
‘It happens to me every day. They go, “My rent went up because of you, you f****** c***”. And I just go, “Oh, just so you know, I’m actually the one paying taxes so that you can be on the dole” …This area is littered with crazies.’
She said the environment had pushed her to adopt a more aggressive persona in return.
‘Kings Cross is just littered with (people who use) profanities—and so I become that woman (who uses) profanities, too,’ she said.
‘Now I’m just swearing all the time like they are, and it just becomes a normal, everyday language…And the council comes out, then I go, “Get f*****”. It’s kind of like a war zone.’
She said she had no regrets about the confrontation and would not back down.
‘I don’t care if I get into trouble,’ she said.
‘I’ve made you look bad because you made me look bad. Game on. If (council’s) going to pick on me, I’ll on you back. Like, you don’t poke a bear and expect it remain calm.’
‘And then the council’s going, “Well, our staff have remained calm whilst you blew up and explicitly told them to get f*****”. I said, “Yes, I did actually, because you dropped a bomb on me and then you asked me to remain calm”. No, f*** off.’
The City of Sydney spokesperson said: ‘We commend our staff for remaining calm and professional throughout the process and we request the community act respectfully when interacting with all City of Sydney staff.’
They added that since November 2020, nearly 1000 outdoor dining applications had been approved, benefiting over 800 businesses.
The waived fees, totalling an estimated $20 million, had provided substantial support to local hospitality operators.
‘We will continue to work with this business to ensure it can enjoy the free use of city footpaths while understanding its obligation to maintain sufficient space for others, including those pushing prams or for wheelchairs,’ the spokesperson said.
Ms Chu said she had no plans to comply with council’s orders.
‘I would rather go to jail than remove the plants,’ she said.
‘So (council can) give me the fine and I’ll either pay it or, preferably, I will dispute it in court so that I can change this draconian law once and for all.’
In a previous story, we explored another clash between local businesses and council regulations.
The ongoing tension over public space shows no signs of easing.
Read on to see how a new council crackdown on parking spaces could affect you.
With tensions this high between small businesses and local councils, how do you think cities should balance community needs with supporting vibrant street life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
