Facelift for ex-Wolfgang Puck's Cucina! Cucina!

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The Seattle Times reports that Cucina! Cucina! closed its South Lake Union outlet last week in Seattle for a make-over, with more to come to come after this "first." Schwartz Brothers Restaurants started up the concept in 1988. Wolfgang Puck Worldwide bought the chain in 2002 (see Super Chef, p. 45) and then last year sold eight of the full service outlets in Seattle, Tacoma, and Tigard (Oregon) to restaurateur Jeff Fuller (read about his plans of last year in The Puget Sound Business Journal). The original Lake Union Cucina! is being reconcepted as "Peak Grill and Lounge" for a tentative relaunch in May 2005. Fuller claims that he is pleased with his Cucina! Cucina! buy. The owner-operator turned around the Canadian Joey Tomato's Mediterranean Grills, from "a casual, Italian-accented restaurant much like Cucina! Cucina!" to a "premium-casual" restaurant with 10 units. He looks not only to give Cucina! Cucina! outlets a makeover but to expand them, too. Prevoius articles: Wolfgang Puck: Eastern Empire Wolf Want Meat: Wolfgang Puck Steakhouse Wolfgang Puck Inaugurates Washington Wolfgang Puck Returns to Indiana Coffee Puck: Heats In Your Hands World Series Chefs Serve Baseball Nick Valenti: Super Chef Master Fly With Wolfgang Puck Express And Now Puck Paints, Two! Wolf Wines and Dines, or Puck's Party Euro Puck Puck in a Box Wolfgang Puck Examines the Examiner --> back to superchefblog