In January 2014, Bickelhaupt opened
42 Grams, a restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, alongside his then-wife and general manager, Alexa Welsh. 42 Grams received two Michelin stars within its first year of operation and was the subject of a 2017 documentary of the same name. Bickelhaupt divorced in January of 2017 and initially planned to continue the restaurant through its lease expiration in November, but on June 4 Bickelhaupt assaulted Welsh, leading a diner to call police. Later that evening, Bickelhaupt tweeted an announcement that the restaurant was closing, effective immediately. In May 2019, Bickelhaupt opened another restaurant, Stone Flower, also in Chicago. Stone Flower closed following the
COVID-19 pandemic. He self-financed a second documentary,
86ed, which was released in 2021 and focused on his efforts to "rebuild his life amid a cloud of
cancel culture and online bullying". It did not cover Welsh's version of events. Konro was a ten-seat tasting menu-only restaurant and offered wine pairings as well as a non-alcoholic pairing. Konro became the only restaurant in the Miami area to earn a Michelin star in April 2025, before closing two months later in the aftermath of Bickelhaupt's arrest. Michelin revoked the star in August.
Domestic violence incidents Bickelhaupt was arrested on June 6, 2017 for the attack on Welsh that led to the closure of 42 Grams, and pleaded guilty to charges of simple battery in July. Five days later, the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office added charges of witness tampering and violating a domestic violence injunction, claiming that Jake had left voicemails to a shared restaurant number, instructing Nadia on what to tell authorities to facilitate his release from custody. His felony battery charges were upgraded to attempted second-degree murder and
false imprisonment on June 11, though the charges of witness tampering were later reduced to misdemeanor violation of pretrial conditions. As of October 2025, Bickelhaupt remained held without bond. ==Awards and recognition==