Overview
- An April 2024 podcast resurfaced in December showing Richard Hart saying Mexico “really don’t have much culture of bread” and describing local rolls as “white, ugly” and industrial.
- Public backlash surged on social platforms with calls to avoid Green Rhino, and influencer Arturo Lemmen said he will no longer visit the Roma Norte bakery.
- Hart posted an Instagram apology acknowledging he failed to act as a respectful guest and pledged to listen more, while reactions remained mixed and Green Rhino declined further comment.
- The dispute broadened into questions about who gets to critique Mexican culinary traditions and the role of foreign-run, upscale food businesses in a gentrifying capital.
- Images circulating that appeared to show Green Rhino vandalized were digitally fabricated, and outlets reporting on them said no physical damage occurred.