The co-founders of La Mița Biciclista apologized after the negative reactions generated by a video considered elitist. Edmond Niculușcă: "Mr. Mihai, I ask for your forgiveness!"

The co-founders of the La Mița Biciclista venue, Edmond Niculușcă and Alberto Groșescu, issued public apologies on Friday after a clip posted on the venue's page sparked a wave of negative reactions, with accusations of elitism and arrogance.

In a Facebook post, the two acknowledged that the public's reactions are justified and apologized for the insults made.

Niculușcă explained that the video, which was supposed to promote quality dishes, was misinterpreted and hurt the local community, especially the symbol of the market, Nea Mihai.

"It should have been an episode about foodies. In the published form, it hurt people, memories, and the most well-known neighbor from Piața Amzei, and for that, I take full responsibility for the mistake.

My impulsive temperament made me make a terrible mistake, and I regret that I understood the impact of my words so late. Nea Mihai is a symbol of the market. I have long talked about French cuisine, but I was wrong to place it in opposition to a tradition and a local man. Nea Mihai, I ask for your forgiveness!" wrote Edmond Niculușcă in a Facebook post.

Criticism arose after Niculușcă compared traditional products with higher quality ones, which led to a counter-campaign reaction from Bucharest residents, who bought products from Nea Mihai and consumed them in front of the venue.

Edmond Niculușcă, known for his work in civil society and in the HORECA field, emphasized the negative impact of his words and promised to reflect on the lesson learned.