Growth-seeking U.S. chefs and restaurant chains are using a variety of different recipes — from new venues and ethnic-inspired flavors to targeting healthier eaters — in a bid to expand their reach.
Chef Wolfgang Puck, best-known for his Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills, wants his company to resemble "Armani or any of the fashion houses."
Puck has high-end or "haute couture" offerings (Spago and Cut), a more casual "pret-a-porter" or ready-to-wear line (Wolfgang Puck Express and Wolfgang Puck Bistro), and licensing deals that put the chef's soups, pizzas and other grocery items in stores around the country.
Puck — who was a celebrity chef before many of today's culinary stars were old enough to wield a knife — said he wants to open more of his casual restaurants in airports around the world.
"I think it's really a good place for us to be. There are a lot of fast-food chains (in airports), but people today demand better-quality food," said Puck, who also sells cookware, small kitchen appliances and other gadgets.
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