Standing 1.95 meters tall, Mory Sacko needed money to open his first restaurant in Paris when he joined the cooking competition television show Top Chef, stepping away from his role as sous-chef under Thierry Marx at the Mandarin Oriental.
Interviewed on the podcast Anatomie d’une décision, Sacko explained that his television appearance was driven by a pragmatic need for capital rather than a search for media glory, according to the report published by L’Express. When commercial banks struggled to understand his vision for a culinary concept blending African, French, and Japanese traditions, selection for Top Chef provided the necessary credential to secure business financing.
Stepping Away from the Mandarin Oriental
By the spring of 2019, Sacko had spent three years working as sous-chef under Thierry Marx at the Mandarin Oriental in Paris. While creative chemistry with Marx remained strong, a desire to build an independent culinary identity prompted the departure. When Sacko announced his resignation, Marx offered encouragement rather than resistance, validating the ambition of his team members to launch their own enterprises.
Securing capital for the project proved difficult. Traditional lenders found the cross-cultural menu concept difficult to categorize. Sacko turned to television competition not for prestige, but strictly for the financial means to open a dining room. Once selected for Top Chef, commercial banks reversed their hesitation and agreed to finance the venture.
Signing the Lease Amid Approaching Lockdowns
Sacko signed the sales agreement for his first restaurant in the 14th arrondissement of Paris in December 2019, receiving the keys weeks before France entered its first COVID-19 lockdown. Rather than treat the delay as a setback, Sacko used the time to refine the menu and project details for his gourmet restaurant, MoSuke. Concurrently, episodes of Top Chef recorded months prior aired to record-breaking television audiences during confinement, generating immense public interest ahead of the restaurant’s eventual opening.
Launching Street Food to Survive Restrictions
During the subsequent second lockdown, the absence of prior financial records barred the business from receiving government-guaranteed loans. To protect the MoSuke brand, Sacko opened a separate street-food venture specializing in fried chicken for takeout. The concept succeeded, generating higher revenue than the fine-dining room and allowing him to rehire furloughed staff.
Maintaining Perspective After Global Recognition
On September 13, 2023, Sacko appeared on the cover of Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential emerging personalities globally. To maintain perspective after international recognition, Sacko returned to routine shifts running from 8:00 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. in his Paris kitchen, supported by a close-knit family that treats him without celebrity status.
Reflecting on his transition from cook to entrepreneur, Sacko noted that managing a business requires constant problem-solving, particularly regarding human resources and staff dynamics. Looking back across the trajectory of his career, Sacko stated that he would change very little about the decisions that brought him to his current role.
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