CLEVELAND, OH – University Hospitals (UH) and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. announced last week that they will open Wolfgang Puck Express at the new UH Seidman Cancer Center, a freestanding cancer hospital opening in spring 2011 on the campus of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland’s University Circle. Wolfgang Puck Express, a sit-down café to be located on the hospital’s lobby level, will be the first Wolfgang Puck restaurant to be housed in a hospital in the country and also the first in Northeast Ohio.
Wolfgang Puck Express will feature celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s signature dishes in a contemporary, fast-casual setting with affordable prices and convenient service. The 2,500-square-foot Wolfgang Puck Express is the latest addition to the renowned chef’s vast culinary empire which includes nearly 100 restaurants and began with the opening of the famed Spago nearly 30 years ago. The restaurant will be managed by Sodexo staff with extensive training by the Wolfgang Puck company.
“I’ve been coming to Cleveland for more than 20 years for the hospital’s fabulous Five Star Sensation Event,” said Wolfgang Puck. “I love coming to Cleveland, and I’m excited to partner with University Hospitals to open our newest restaurant. It’s an honor to be opening in this spectacular new cancer hospital. We look forward to offering patients, family members, employees and visitors a fun and casual dining setting with fresh food using the highest quality, seasonal ingredients.”
Wolfgang Puck Express will offer made-to-order, all-natural food options in just minutes, giving patrons the ability to choose more healthful meal options while still enjoying the fast casual setting. The extensive menu will feature Wolfgang’s signature wood-oven baked pizzas, a variety of pastas, sandwiches, soups, salads and Wolfgang’s classics such as oven roasted salmon and rosemary rotisserie chicken.
Wolfgang Puck Worldwide celebrates a central philosophy of Wolfgang’s Eat, Love, Live ™ (WELL) and strives to provide the freshest, natural and organic ingredients and celebrate local farmers, sustainable seafood and humanely treated animals.
“Wolfgang has changed the face of dining in cities throughout the nation with his emphasis on fresh, natural, high-quality ingredients to create his exceptional dishes,” says Nathan Levitan, MD, President of the UH Seidman Cancer Center. “Wolfgang Puck Express will be a perfect complement to our patient-centered, healing-oriented cancer hospital and we are pleased to be the first location in Northeast Ohio.”
Wolfgang Puck has been a strong advocate of UH for nearly 25 years as the honorary co-chair of Five Star Sensation, a culinary extravaganza which has raised more than $10 million for the UH Ireland Cancer Center (now UH Seidman Cancer Center). The bi-annual fundraiser brings together the finest chefs and vintners from around the world and attracts a sell-out crowd.
The new UH Seidman Cancer Center will be located on the UH Case Medical Center campus in University Circle. The nine-story state-of-the-art cancer hospital with a capacity of 150 beds will house the latest treatments and the most advanced diagnostic, therapeutic and information technologies – all in a patient-centered, healing focused environment. The $260 million facility is a key component of UH’s $1.2 billion Vision 2010 strategic plan.
