Wolfgang Puck and Frank Gehry Move to Replace Gladstones on PCH

By JOHN HARLOW | Editor-in-Chief

Wolfgang Puck, the celebrity chef, has won the support of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in his bid to replace Gladstones at Will Rogers State Beach.

The Austrian-born restaurateur has teamed up with Frank Gehry, the architect behind the Walt Disney Concert Hall and other world-famous public buildings, to re-imagine the popular beachside restaurant as a cluster of different eateries.

This includes a casual café, an upscale dining room and a family-orientated ice cream shop.

The County Supervisors, meeting on Tuesday, April 3, voted to move forward in negotiating a 50-year lease with Puck—although it could take another five years to complete the transition from the current management and structures.

Puck and Gehry won strong support from Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who represents Pacific Palisades at a county level.

“Two local icons are offering to combine forces with the county to re-imagine a legendary landmarks and transform it into a world-class, must-see, must-eat dining destination,” she said.

“It’s an exciting synergy of talent, cultural and culinary work.”

Puck, who 36 years ago opened Spago, his first restaurant in LA, said it was a lifelong dream to work with Gehry.

But there may still be a legal challenge from another bidder for the site, a consortium including Alan Jackson of the Lemonade restaurants, Amy Fraser of Redbird restaurant and Westside Rentals Founder Mark Verge.

They said the supervisors had been dazzled by the celebrity power.

They want the public officials to take another look at the bids including “blatant legal errors” and hold a fresh vote.

But the supervisors dismissed their proposal as a “food court,” and will spend the next 90 days preparing terms for Puck and his partners.

Puck shared preliminary conceptual drawings for the project showing a long, light-toned structure running between PCH and the shoreline on the county-owned 2.8-acre site.

Not only does it include a rooftop bar and a public deck, but also a monument to the original Gladstones.