Wolfgang Puck remains a fixture in global hospitality, maintaining high-end prestige while embracing casual formats and global reach.
The name Wolfgang Puck is synonymous with the best of restaurant hospitality and the ultimate in all aspects of the culinary arts. The famed chef has built a brand that encompasses three companies: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.
As a young chef he worked in some of France’s greatest restaurants, including Maxim’s in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and the Michelin 2-starred L’Oustau de Baumanière in Provence. At the age of 24, Wolfgang took the advice of a friend and left Europe for the United States. His first job was at the restaurant La Tour in Indianapolis, where he worked from 1973 to 1975.
He gained early acclaim as executive chef at Ma Maison in Los Angeles, where he became a celebrity in the L.A. food scene by blending French technique with California ingredients.
Puck opened Spago on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood in 1982, partnering with Barbara Lazaroff.
His early signature dishes, such as pizzas topped with smoked salmon and caviar, and Sonoma baby lamb with braised greens and rosemary, put him and Spago on the international gourmet map. It revolutionized American fine dining, combining casual California style with sophisticated cuisine.
Spago became a magnet for celebrities, critics, and foodies—widely credited as the first modern California cuisine restaurant.
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 in 1991 and 1998, and the James Beard Foundation Award for Restaurant of the Year in 1994. Wolfgang is the only chef to have won the Outstanding Chef of the Year Award multiple times.
1983: Opened Chinois on Main in Santa Monica, pioneering Asian fusion cuisine in the U.S.
His early exposure to Southern California’s multicultural population intrigued him, inspiring him to fuse the Asian flavors and products of Koreatown, Chinatown, and Thai Town with his French and California-based cuisine in a fine dining setting.
1989: Opened Postrio in San Francisco, further establishing his reputation as a bold innovator.
1997: Founded Wolfgang Puck Catering, which was selected to cater the Academy Awards Governors Ball for decades.
Launched Wolfgang Puck Express, a fast-casual version of his restaurants, in airports and malls across the U.S.
Introduced Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill in Las Vegas, aiming to balance upscale comfort food with accessibility.
After 15 years in West Hollywood, in 1997 Wolfgang moved Spago to an elegant setting on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. His menu blazed new ground, with a combination of updated Spago classics and newly conceived items. The seasonal menu drew inspiration from Wolfgang’s favorite childhood dishes, offering a selection of Austrian specialties such as Wienerschnitzel and Kaiserschmarren.
In 2006, Wolfgang opened CUT, a sleek, contemporary steakhouse at the acclaimed Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. After only one year, CUT earned a prestigious Michelin star among numerous other top accolades including Restaurant of the Year by Esquire Magazine.
CUT became one of Puck’s most successful international ventures, expanding to Las Vegas, New York, Singapore, London, Dubai, and more.
CUT Beverly Hills and CUT Singapore both received Michelin stars.
Opened restaurants in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe:
Spago opened in Istanbul, Singapore, Maui, Budapest, and Saudi Arabia.
Partnered with luxury hotels such as Ritz-Carlton, Marina Bay Sands, Pendry to anchor fine-dining restaurants.
Wolfgang Puck Worldwide expanded into licensing and product lines including soups, kitchenware, cookbooks, and the like.
Continued to open venues in airports, casinos, and international hotels.
Opened CARAMÁ at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in 2024, showing an interest in new culinary directions.
As of 2025, Wolfgang Puck oversees over 100 restaurants and branded outlets worldwide, spanning flagship fine-dining venues, casual cafés, airport kiosks, hotel partnerships, and catering services, and a defining figure of the celebrity chef era. Multiple Michelin stars, landmark influence on California cuisine, Helped reshape American dining with an emphasis on fusion, local ingredients, and culinary entertainment.
Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant empire is a multifaceted global powerhouse, comprising iconic fine dining temples, approachable modern cafés, extensive catering operations, and licensed venues in strategic locations like airports and hotels. His influence continues to shape modern gastronomy, from Michelin starred kitchens to accessible culinary experiences around the world.
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