Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Disney Springs accounting for tastes
Restaurants go for greatness with celebrity chefs, modern cuisines
Wolfgang Puck had one of the country’s highestgrossing restaurants at Disney Springs before he shut it down last year and moved it a few hundred yards away.
The reason? Being good just didn’t cut it at Disney Springs. Puck knew his place had to be better than that.
The dining and entertainment district at Disney World has spent the past four years not only bringing in celebrity chefs such as Rick Bayless and Art Smith but revitalizing its most prolific dining spots to offer elegant surroundings and modern menus.
“We were the first restaurant at Disney with a name attached to it; now there are so many,” Puck said in a recent interview. “The great restaurants will do well, and the ones that are not so great, they will move on.”
The new Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill that opened in late November is the latest example, with its timber-beamed ceilings, farmhouse look and California cuisine that made Puck a star in the dining world. He said the new restaurant gave him the chance to start fresh.
“It’s been a real reinvention of Disney Springs, and what they’ve been trying to do for so many years, they’ve finally realized,” said AJ Wolfe, editor of the Disney Food Blog. “What people really want is a chance to get great food regardless of the cost. That’s what they’ve done at Disney Springs.”
Fulton’s Crab House was the 11th-highest grossing independent restaurant in the country in 2014 with $20.5 million in estimated revenue, according to Restaurant Business Online. But it was closed for nearly a year in 2016 and 2017 to be turned into a more modern concept called Paddlefish.
Planet Hollywood got a similar treatment, as did the Italian dining spot Portabello, which reopened in June as Terralina Crafted Italian. Planet Hollywood’s remodel came with a partnership with TV Network’s Guy Fieri. Terralina’s menu is now helmed by James Beard Awardwinning chef Tony Mantuano.
Disney declined an interview to talk about its Disney Springs strategy.
Rick Winner, a real estate agent from Celebration, dined on pizza at Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill during its opening weekend and was impressed by the modern look compared with the early 1990s decor at the former Wolfgang Puck Grand Bistro.
“Disney Springs is probably our top area to eat out now,” Winner said. “There are a lot more good restaurants than there used to be.”
The easy commute from Celebration, a Disney-built community in Osceola County, and the number of restaurants means Winner spends a lot more time not only eating there but shopping at new stores as well, he said.
One by one, the dining destinations have disappeared that once anchored Downtown Disney, the
district’s former name. New entrants such as the Boathouse and Morimoto Asia have become some of the most popular dining spots there, according to Restaurant Business Online rankings.
Patina Restaurant Group, which operated a spot at Epcot already, opened several new restaurants at Disney Springs that range from upscale dining at Morimoto Asia and The Edison to quick service at Pizza Ponte.
“We wanted to create a variety of exciting and distinct restaurant experiences that spark curiosity but also remain approachable for anyone coming to Disney Springs,” said Kyle Collins, marketing director for Patina.
There’s also the NBA Experience coming and a sports bar called City Works.
Officially, Puck said the old restaurant closed when his lease with national dining company Levy Restaurants ran out earlier this year. He said he wasn’t happy with the look and direction of Grand Cafe, so he took the opportunity to open a new restaurant under his ownership group.
Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe became Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill, serving some of the same dishes such as his half chicken and mashed potatoes.
Taking the old spot of the Wolfgang Puck Cafe will be Jaleo, a restaurant from Jose Andres, one of the hottest chefs in the world. It should open in 2019.
“Maybe they just couldn’t resist Jose Andres coming in and took it as an opportunity to move an outdated concept,” Wolfe said.