What You Didn't Know About David Chang's Food Magazine, Lucky Peach
David Chang has been taking the food world by storm for decades. Chef and founder of the popular Momofuku restaurants are just a few of his many accomplishments. He's received five James Beard Foundation Awards (via Momofuku). Momofuku Ko, one of the NYC outlets, has had two Michelin stars since 2009 and almost always has a line out the door with hungry fans craving his signature dishes. He also graces the screen in his Netflix docu-series "Ugly Delicious," where he dives into food history and topics with an honest and modern take.
Chang certainly has a way with food, but he also has a way with words. He is the brains behind Lucky Peach, the late food magazine that changed food media forever. Chang immediately caught everyone's attention with the first issue of his food-centric magazine in 2011, says Eater. Between the stories, bold graphics, and unique illustrations, Lucky Peach stood out on shelves until 2017 when Chang and partner Peter Meehan broke hearts all over the world with the news of the magazine folding.
Food lovers mourned the loss of Lucky Peach
The announcement shocked many considering the magazine's popularity was off the charts. As it turns out, the decision wasn't based on a financial matter. The Washington Post reported that it was creative differences that brought the magazine to a halt. David Chang and Peter Meehan butted heads when it came to creative direction and when choosing financial partners for Lucky Peach. The team behind the magazine clued followers in on the closure via a pseudo break-up announcement on Instagram directed at their "children" — aka the readers and lovers of Lucky Peach.
The two former business partners have kept their professional break-up under wraps for the most part, with Meehan later sharing with Grub Street that the two just grew apart. "I think he wanted one thing and I wanted another," Meehan put simply. With the magazine's level of success, their difference in opinions must have been distinct. According to The Washington Post, there were 74,000 copies of each Lucky Peach issue being printed at the time, and almost all of them were paid for in advance. Eater shared that the beloved magazine won nine James Beard awards, as well as a handful of others, and was recognized as a pillar of food publications. When the closure was announced, Chang alluded to picking the magazine back up later on, but alas, we're still waiting.