Michelin-rated chef arrested on domestic violence charges at West Palm Beach home
A renowned chef and the owner of the lone Michelin-starred restaurant in West Palm Beach is facing domestic battery charges after police alleged he assaulted a woman during an incident at his home.
Jacob Bickelhaupt, the chef and owner of Konro restaurant, is facing one count each of domestic battery causing bodily harm and domestic battery following his arrest June 2 by West Palm Beach police.
According to his arrest report, Bickelhaupt repeatedly punched and kicked the woman, leaving her with two black eyes, and with swelling and bruising on her face.
The woman reportedly went to Palm Beach International Airport after the attack to try to buy a flight to her family's home but suffered a seizure at the ticket counter. She received emergency care at St. Mary's Medical Center.
During a hearing June 3 at the Palm Beach County Jail, Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss ruled that Bickelhaupt, 41, is indigent and assigned a public defender to represent him. She set his bail at $90,000 and ordered that he be placed on in-house arrest with an ankle monitor if he is released.
As a matter of policy, the county Public Defender's Office does not comment on active cases. After his arrest, Bickelhaupt requested to speak to an attorney and did not make other statements to investigators, his arrest report said.
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The arrest marks the second time within the past decade Bickelhaupt has faced an allegation of domestic violence. In June 2017, Chicago police arrested him on charges that he assaulted a woman, throwing her to the ground and striking her in the head with a bottle, according to multiple published reports.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of simple battery and was ordered to undergo mandatory drug and alcohol testing, complete a domestic violence program and pay fines. Shortly after the Chicago arrest, Bickelhaupt closed 42 Grams, his popular restaurant on Chicago's north side that at one time also earned Michelin-star status.
In 2023, he opened Konro in West Palm Beach, on Park Place off South Dixie Highway near the Norton Museum of Art. It is a menu-free tasting restaurant with 10 counter seats and a steep, three-figure per person price tag for admission.
In 2024, the Michelin Guide announced it would be rating Palm Beach County's restaurants, and in April, Konro was awarded a single Michelin star, making it the county's first and only restaurant to carry a star from the vaunted guide.
According to Bickelhaupt's arrest report, his current accuser told investigators that he repeatedly attacked her over the span of two hours, even as she tried to leave the home. Once the attack stopped, the woman packed a bag and called for a ride to PBIA, where she collapsed, the arrest report said.
Officers detained Bickelhaupt that night and took him to police headquarters for questioning.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Michelin-star chef arrested on domestic violence charges in West Palm
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