Chef Wolfgang Puck Honors Wife during Documentary Celebration
Wolfgang Puck is a familiar name in the world of restaurant hospitality and the culinary arts. He owns three companies: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.
The famed Austrian-American chef is also a celebrated reality television star who has appeared in shows such as MasterChef, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Top Chef: New York, and The Chef Show.
On June 12, 2021, a documentary film Wolfgang, based on Puck’s journey to success, was premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival - before it was globally released on June 25, 2021, by Disney+.
Being a modest man, Puck credits his wife Gelila Assefa for leading him to success and making him a better man.
Credits His Wife for Making Him a Better Man
During an interview with Page Six on June 14, 2021, the restaurateur opened up about his new documentary film and his wife's contribution to his success.
He shared that the film, directed by David Gelb, captured the beginning of his journey and the story of “triumph over adversity and of never giving up on your dream, your passion or yourself.”
Puck didn’t miss out on the opportunity to talk about his wife Assefa, a handbag designer, with whom he tied the knot during a three-day celebration in Italy in 2007.
“She has been and continues to be a driving force for the future of our businesses as well as a wife and a mother who has made me a better man, a better father, and happy in ways I never knew possible,” the chef expressed.
He also added that she was a creative genius, and he would continue to work with her to transform and grow the Wolfgang Puck family brand.
Went through Divorce Twice
Puck has been married to his wife Assefa for nearly 15 years now. Together, the couple is parents to two kids, Oliver and Alexander. They reside in Los Angeles.
But before starting his marital relationship with her, the Sankt Veit an der Glan-born chef went through two divorces.
His first wife was Marie France Trouillot, with whom he was married for five years (1975 - 1980).
In 1984, Puck married his second wife, Barbara Lazaroff. They welcomed two children, both sons: Cameron and Byron.
Their marriage ended in divorce after 20 years in 2003. But despite the split, she plays a vital role in Puck’s restaurants as co-founder and interior designer.
Lazaroff is also a highly regarded restaurateur, author, celebrated philanthropist, entrepreneur, podcast host, and member of the American Society of Interior Designers.
Puck's Son Is Handling His Business
In December 2020, Puck handed over the responsibility of General Manager for his two cafés, Merois and Ospero, both located in Pendry West Hollywood, to his son Byron.
Byron, 26, who had already managed Spago in Beverly Hills for two years, sounded excited about his new responsibility during a conversation with Los Angeles Magazine.
“I love meeting our guests, but I definitely see myself bouncing back and forth [between the kitchen and front-of-house],” he said.
The star chef’s son was 12 when he started working.
He initially washed dishes at Spago and later earned his place as a chef at fine-dining powerhouses like Chicago’s Alinea and Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca.