Chef Charlie Trotter Kicks Students Out of Former Restaurant: Report

A group of students setting up a gallery of photos say they were tossed out of celebrity chef Charlie Trotter’s former Chicago restaurant with their artwork inside.

Trotter had apparently agreed to let teens from After School Matters use the space formerly occupied by his namesake restaurant, a Michelin-starred dining destination that closed in 2012, as the site for an exhibit to showcase their photos.

But the infamous chef, who sits on the board of the non-profit program, was offended when the group’s instructor refused to order his students to sweep the floors and plunge the toilets, according to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times.

After a series of upsets, the students were reportedly kicked out of the restaurant with their artwork and electronic equipment inside.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances at the site, the exhibit was unexpectedly canceled," After School Matters CEO Mary Ellen Caron said in an emailed statement.

She noted the organization is working to reschedule the gallery at a new location.

"We regret the disappointment and confusion this situation has caused our students and their families, and will work closely with our instructor and the site owner to ensure that we are able to retrieve the teens’ artwork and any other personal belongings that may have been left at the site," the statement read.

Later Friday, workers from After School Matters were seen hauling prints out of the venue.

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