Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Culinary Empire

Wolfgang Puck started off his celebrity career as chef to the stars. His famous Spago Beverly Hills restaurant is the site for some of the hottest annual invite-only post-Oscar parties. As Executive Chef there he carved out a name for himself based partly on his personality and European style and partly on his cuisine: sophisticated and seasonal California-inspired dishes.

Wolfgang Puck Food Company

Puck’s company motto: “Eat, Love and Live (Well)” could be the mantra for a whole generation of chefs, celebrity or not. He is at the pinnacle of his career and has been a pioneer in the field of celebrity culinary professional. With 16 restaurant chains to his name, each of which serves up an innovative menu designed by Chef Puck, it takes 3 culinary corporations to manage this pro chef’s empire:

• Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining
• Wolfgang Puck Worldwide
• Wolfgang Puck Catering

A small crew of top restaurant managers, financial gurus, and executive chefs act as partners and key role players in Puck’s business that has now international reach and includes a successful franchise business, as well.

Chef Puck’s business now extends well beyond that of restaurant chef/owner. His companies operate a strong retail business with trademarked WP products:

• Cookbooks that range from French cooking to signature pizza and other simple make-at-home dishes with a sophisticated edge.
• Popular product lines of cookware suitable for serious foodies.
• Select variety of food products including his soups and pizzas, available in many grocery stores throughout the country.

Wolfgang Puck’s Chef Training

Following the footsteps of Wolfgang Puck means you must have a certain amount of vitality about your chef skills and your career ideals. You should also be personable and friendly. Puck’s formal culinary training likely began in his own Austrian kitchen and as the child to a mother who worked as a pastry chef. Professionally he trained while he worked in restaurants in Monaco and France and ultimately landed in the United States.

His Cuisine and Specialties

Puck’s cuisine now embraces a diverse range of foods and dishes some very sophisticated and some simple and rustic. His most famous restaurant, Spago, offers fine, clean California-inspired dishes. His latest venture, Wolfgang Puck Bistro restaurants, offer a mix between full-service and fast-casual, and feature his signature rustic pizzas plus a variety of his classic sandwiches and pasta dishes all designed around his company ideals, interior design included.