Wolfgang Puck is continuing to grow his restaurant empire with two new venues scheduled to open at the MGM Grand Detroit.
The two restaurants will bring the number of venues operated by Puck’s Las Vegas-based Fine Dining Group to 21. Puck also operates or licenses about 80 limited-service restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck Express outlets in airports.
In the Detroit resort-casino, Puck had operated Wolfgang Puck Grille for about five years before that concept closed in May.
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Puck’s two new restaurants will move in to other spots at the resort, which currently house two restaurants by multiconcept operator Michael Mina: Saltwater and Bourbon Steak.
Resort officials said they did not have a date for the closure of the two Mina venues, but after five years and completion of their contract, the MGM Grand Detroit and The Mina Group have “mutually decided to pursue new opportunities,” said Steve Zanella, the resort’s general manager.
“We have greatly enjoyed our relationship with the Mina Group and thank them for their contribution to our success,” Zanella said in a statement.
Saltwater will be replaced with Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina. It will be a second location of the pizzeria concept, which is also in Las Vegas at City Center, another MGM property.
Bourbon Steak will be replaced with Wolfgang Puck Steak, a new concept for Puck that will be a contemporary steakhouse offering traditional favorites, including steaks and other meats, shellfish and roasted whole fish, along with a selection of sauces and sides, an international wine list, and custom-crafted cocktails.
The pizzeria will feature a more approachable menu, with nearly a dozen of Puck’s signature oven-baked pizzas, house-made pastas and other Italian specialties. Both restaurants will be helmed by chef Marc Djozlija, a Detroit native and former chef of Wolfgang Puck Grille, who has been with the Puck fine-dining group for more than a decade.
The announcement comes just a few months after Puck opened a new casual-dining pizza concept in June in Charlotte, N.C., one of four planned as a test. Puck has also temporarily closed his iconic restaurant Spago in Beverly Hills, Calif., which is undergoing a redesign. The new-and-improved Spago is scheduled to reopen later this month.
Puck’s growing company also includes a large catering arm, and a line of licensed retail products, cookware and cookbooks.
Contact Lisa Jennings at lisa.jennings@penton.com.
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