Passing puck.Wolfgang Puck's grand experiment in casual dining--with the exception of two restaurants in California and Florida and two outside of the U.S.--came to a quiet close this month with a bankruptcy filing in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Florica Inc., which had been known as Wolfgang Puck Wolfgang Johann Puck (born Wolfgang Johann Topfschnig on July 8, 1949) is an Austrian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and businessman based in Los Angeles. Casual Dining Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Aug. 4 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court bankruptcy court n. the specialized Federal court in which bankruptcy matters under the Federal Bankruptcy Act are conducted. There are several bankruptcy courts in each state, and each one's territory covers several counties. . The company formerly operated close to a dozen Wolfgang Puck Cafes that have since closed. Locations included West Hollywood West Hollywood A community of southern California northeast of Beverly Hills. It is mainly residential. Population: 36,600. , Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. and Woodland Hills. Wolfgang Puck never ran the casual dining chain, but was a shareholder until a few years ago, said Puck spokesman Robbie Vorhaus. The company also was not associated with three other entities the celebrity chef In its strictest sense, a celebrity chef is a someone who has become well-known for his/her cooking. The first historical personality that fits this description is Martino da Como but in practical terms the term grew in popularity during the 1990s. operates: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining, which includes Spago and other high-end eateries; Wolfgang Puck Catering, which services the Academy Awards every year; and the licensing and franchise company, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide Inc. Worldwide licenses the chef's name for supermarket food, as well as a chain of Wolfgang Puck Express fast food restaurants. The last four remaining Wolfgang Puck Cafes; including one at Universal CityWalk, operate under franchise licenses from the company. They are financially healthy, Vorhaus said. He believes the intent of the bankruptcy filing was to liquidate the company, despite the fact it was filed under the chapter of the bankruptcy code that ordinarily is used for reorganization. Staff reporter Emily Bryson York can be reached at (323)549-5225, ext. 235, or at eyork@labusinessjournal.com. |
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