Wolfgang Puck is most proud of this restaurant accomplishment, exclusive

As the Wolfgang Documentary streams on Disney+, the story behind the celebrated chef, Wolfgang Puck, comes to life via the visionary David Gelb. While many people knew that Gelb’s deft hand would reveal the man behind the kitchen pass, the reality is that those restaurant moments brought the original celebrity chef into the zeitgeist. Since the restaurant elevated the Austrian chef into and beyond that food world, it is the restaurant that holds many of Puck’s accomplishments.

In a recent interview with FoodSided, Puck shared many thoughts on his experiences, career and influences. While that connection to his home, family and culinary training can be felt in all of this work, the reality is that this resilient chef seems as if he is always looking ahead, building and finding new ways to connect with people.

As seen in the Wolfgang Documentary, even as a young boy, he would not back down from a challenge. When a chef told him no, do not return, he only pushed harder, found a way to do better, and ultimately achieve.

In some ways, it isn’t that Puck set out to become one of the most influential chefs in the world, but his choices have and will continue to have an impact on the restaurant world. If it was not for Puck, the concept of an open kitchen with the chef on the stage would not be part of the restaurant ambiance.

What does Wolfgang Puck said this restaurant accomplishment makes him proud?

Walking into a Wolfgang Puck restaurant is an experience. While many people will want to order an iconic dish or appreciate the ambiance, the reality is that it comes down to the customer experience.

As Puck shared, he asks the question, “how do we make the customer feel?” For him, how the customer feels “is the most important part.” If the customer “feels good, the food was good, the service was friendly,” the overall experience is memorable. More importantly, it makes that customer come back time and again.

Puck shared, he and his team are always striving for “a great experience.” When his team can create that great experience, he believes that people will return because of those special memories.

That concept has proven him right. With Spago having been open for 40 years and restaurants around the globe, that open, welcoming, customer experience first mentality has earned him success unlike others in the industry. Of course, the food is impeccable, too.

Puck candidly said that he is proud of his longevity. For him, “longevity is really the most important thing.” As “restaurants open and close all the time, but longevity is really the best thing and what I’m the most proud of.”

While Puck turned the restaurant into his stage and offered diners a seat, it is that perfect performance every time that brings them back hungry for more. Although some people will always crave that specialty pizza or long for a taste of the schnitzel, those dishes are not as flavorful without the ambiance surrounding them. Wolfgang Puck might be the original celebrity chef, but he is a master conductor of the dining experience who is not ready to give up his baton.

The Wolfgang Documentary can be streamed on Disney+. Wolfgang Puck has numerous restaurants across the globe, cookware lines, retail food lines and other food-related businesses.