Chef Eric Rivera Arrested on Domestic Abuse Charges

Raleigh chef Eric Rivera was arrested on August 17, 2024, on charges of misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, assault on a female, and assault by strangulation. He was released from the Wake County Detention Center on August 20 after paying a bond of $7,000.

Rivera moved to Raleigh in 2023 after gaining acclaim for his Seattle restaurant Addo. He planned to open a Puerto Rican izakaya named Coqui and a private dining experience named Sapi — neither took off. In 2024, he and partner Emahlea Wilcher announced Palma, a private dining experience in the Triangle that launched in March.

Rivera is well known for creating controversy on the internet, notably the time he took to X (formerly Twitter) to call an Australian woman a “colonizer” for opening a sushi shop in New York City, which led trolls to leave her business negative reviews.

Rivera was not available for comment, and Wilcher declined to speak with Eater. Wake County was unable to provide more details on the arrest.