Spago Palo Alto and Norman's Coral Gables

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Close one door and open another—quickly. That's what Wolfgang Puck's Fine Dining Group and Norman Van Aken are doing. Not only are they closing on the same day (on opposite sides of the country) but the two chefs are focusing on hotel properties with The Ritz-Carlton. The trick is how to close a restaurant so the end seems less a battle lost than an acknowledgment that it is time to move on to other, fresher opportunities. Both chefs are keeping key staff (or all staff) and attempting to retain loyal customers with a final farewell. This Friday Spago - Palo Alto will shut its doors. Wolfgang will be saying his farewell on May 31st, reports the The San Francisco Chronicle. The opening door is a new Spago in Vail, Colorado at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. That is lucky news for Palo Alto's chef Aram Mardigian. Word from Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group is that Aram will stay with the group to open up another restaurant soon. Spago Palo Alto was opened by Chef Michael French on December 11, 1997. Michael headed up the kitchen until 2002, when Aram took over. Norman is closing his Norman's - Coral Gables, Florida, restaurant on the same day. His email sent out to regular diners and the press says that he is focusing on two new restaurants at Beachside Resort, Key West opening later this year and NORMAN’S at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Lakes, Orlando. Norman's at Coral Gables opened in 1995. He will be saying farewell also on May 31st. He will divide his Coral Gables staff to the new restaurants. Managing partner Thomas Wood, Jr. is quoted in Norman's press release: We see this as a transitional moment. Greater opportunities are to be found in hotels with catering facilities at this time. To that end, we’re exploring opportunities to open a NORMAN’S in a South Florida hotel and look forward to re-opening in Miami sometime in the near future. The difference between the two restaurant closing is that Norman's was Norman's flagship, while Spago Palo Alto was one of many Spago's. There are remaining Spago's in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and Maui. Wolfgang has already weathered closures of Spago Hollywood (the original flagship) and Spago Chicago. Now, what is so alluring about The Ritz-Carlton to diners? You can guess that they're making deals that chefs can't refuse... Previous articles: Norman Van Aken: AIWF Honors Norman Van Aken Norman Van Aken: First "American Visionary" After the Hurricane: Norman Van Aken Breezes Gently In Previous articles: Wolfgang Puck: Foie Gras War: Wolfgang Puck Cleans Hands Wolf Want Meat: Wolfgang Puck Steakhouse Wolfgang Puck: Eastern Empire Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Norman Van Aken, Wolfgang Puck, Spago --> back to Super Chef