THE LEADER: WOLFGANG PUCK
CELEBRITY CHEF
Born on the 8th of July 1949 to a bloodline of a chef, Wolfgang Johannes Topfschnig surely might have got the talent from his mother who worked as a chef in the Austrian town where he was born.
He took the surname of his stepfather, Josef Puck, after his mother’s remarriage and there onward used the name of Wolfgang Puck. As a kid he had been in the kitchen with his mother but his real training started with the encouragement and advice of his mother when he was 14 years of age.
Later as per the advice of a friend he left Europe for good and established himself at his first restaurant La Tour in Indianapolis in the United States.
He worked from 1973 to 1975 but soon found that he shouldn’t limit himself.
He has been married to Gelila Assefa since the 7th of July 2007 and has two children. He was previously married to Barbara Lazaroff and Marie France Trouillot.
When he came to West Hollywood in 1975, he soon grabbed the attention of the elite of the Hollywood, resulting the Ma Maison to be the centre of attraction while placing the famous chef in the spotlight. And he was the first chef to use celebrity as a brand which added to his advantage.
RESTAURANT CHAIN
From Ma Maison, Wolfgang went on to create his first flagship restaurant, Spago, originally located in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. From its opening day in 1982, Spago was an instant success and culinary phenomenon.
Following the success of Spago, Wolfgang opened Chinois on Main in Santa Monica in 1983. His exposure to Southern California’s multicultural population inspired him to blend the Asian flavours and products of Korea, China, and Thailand with his French and California-based cuisine in a fine dining setting. Chinois mainly creates an Asian-fusion menu that laid the groundwork for fusion cooking in America and provides the diners a fresh and imaginative setting.
Wolfgang opened his third restaurant, Postrio, in the Prescott Hotel off San Francisco’s Union Square, in 1989. Throughout its 20 years in business Postrio drew upon the multi-ethnic nature of its surroundings.
After 15 successful years in West Hollywood, Wolfgang moved Spago to an elegant setting on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills, in 1997 with his ex-wife Barbara Lazaroff . His menu blazed new ground, with a combination of updated Spago classics and newly conceived items created by the award-winning talents of
Managing Partner Corporate Executive Chef Lee Hefter. The seasonal menu was inspired from Wolfgang’s favourite childhood dishes, offering a selection of Austrian specialties. Spago Beverly Hills garnered two coveted Michelin Stars, one of only three Los Angeles restaurants to achieve this accolade. In 2012, Wolfgang fearlessly transformed Spago through a complete renovation in both menu and design.
In 2006, Wolfgang opened CUT, a sleek, contemporary steakhouse at Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. After only one year, CUT earned a prestigious Michelin star among numerous other top Restaurants.
In 2014, Puck made his first foray into the Middle East with the debut of CUT at The Address Downtown Dubai.
He was the first to create a different dining culture in America. He changed the way Americans cook and eat, combining it with the finest ingredients and influences of the France, California and Asia.
He has also changed the face of dining in cities throughout the nation, first in Los Angeles, then in Las Vegas, where he was the first star chef to create a contemporary fine dining restaurant, paving the way for other celebrated chefs and the city’s metamorphosis into an acclaimed dining destination.
Alongside his carrier as a chef and the founder of the Wolfgang puck chain of companies, he also built up a name as a television personality and a movie star. He is known for his work on show girls (1995), the weather man (2005) and tales from the Crypt (1989). He has appeared in several TV shows, including the hit cooking reality show Iron Chef.
This famed chef has built a brand that encompasses three companies: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. Founded in 1998 by renowned Puck and CEO Carl Schuster, Wolfgang Puck Catering continues to set the standard for culinary excellence combination of innovative cuisine and refined service to the worlds’ most renowned and demanding corporate, cultural and entertainment clients. Wolfgang Puck has revolutionized the dining landscape with a singular focus: to exceed expectations whenever the guests gather for a meal.
Puck’s empire stretches to twenty fine dining restaurants, numerous catering companies and more than 80 Wolfgang Puck express retail stores.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Wolfgang and Spago earned many accolades during its popular eighteen years in West Hollywood, including winning the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year, twice, in 1991 and 1998.
The James Beard Foundation Award for Restaurant of the Year in 1994 was won by Puck. Wolfgang is the only chef to have won the Outstanding Chef of the Year Award multiple times.
On the 20th of May 2017, Puck was named as the Gold Plate Winner of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA).
Puck currently runs over 100 restaurant and cafés that spreads from Los Angeles to Singapore, Bahrain and beyond. He has revolutionized the culinary industry with his undying passion which is combined with his trademarked dishes.
CHARITY
Wolfgang Puck is active in philanthropic and charitable organizations. He co-founded the Puck-lazaroff Charitable Foundation in 1982, which supports the annual American Wine & Food Festival which has raised more than $15 million since its establishment.
Puck is The Honorary Chair Chef of the “Five Star Sensation” benefit in Ohio, which helps to bring $10 million to support The Ireland Cancer Foundation of University Hospitals every two years.
At present his net worth is calculated as $75 Million and his lifetime slogan is “live love eat.”
Only you can judge your life. You have to live up to your own expectations.