Byron Lazaroff-Puck
blending artistry, innovation, and technology in redefining luxury dining
Story by Anita Yardemian | Photography by Liana Grigoryan
Fine dining transcends mere sustenance. It is a delicate interplay of creativity, precision, and passion— like sculpting, or composing music. Great chefs are celebrated for carefully selecting ingredients, as a painter chooses pigments, to impact one’s tasting buds. Flavors must harmonize as meticulously as musical notes. Just as fine art elicits emotional responses through visual or auditory beauty, culinary creations invoke profound sensory experiences through taste, aroma, and presentation.
The artistry in cooking lies not only in flavor combinations but also in the aesthetic appeal of the final plating, reflecting the chef’s individual style and vision. Renowned chefs, celebrated as contemporary artists, push culinary boundaries, turning dining into a fully immersive experience.
Among these stands Byron Puck, a visionary whose dishes epitomize this intersection of fine art and gastronomy. Puck’s work blends innovation with tradition to produce extraordinary culinary delights, while his philosophy and unique approach pushes the craft to a personalized art form.
There’s a certain energy that Byron Lazaroff-Puck exudes. The kind that’s equal parts charisma and paisley-clad panache. The first time I heard him speak, it was at the Beverly Hills Chamber State of Luxury event, where he shared the stage with his father, the legendary Wolfgang Puck. His enthusiasm was contagious, his take on balancing tradition with innovation downright captivating. Fast-forward to an afternoon spent at the Wolfgang Puck offices in the iconic Pacific Design Center, and it became clear: this young buck of Puck wasn’t just following in his father’s footsteps; he was laying down his own.
"I realized you don’t have to paint with oils; you can paint with food."
At the age of 27, Byron Lazaroff-Puck is the future of the Wolfgang Puck empire, a global culinary powerhouse with 20 fine dining restaurants, each a world of their own. But don’t mistake his youth for inexperience. Byron’s journey began at just 12 years old, scrubbing dishes in Spago’s kitchen. “I thought I’d be peeling potatoes,” he laughs, “but instead, I was elbow-deep in dish soap.” What started as an adolescent rite of passage became the foundation of a lifelong passion. Guided by seasoned chefs, he realized that the artistry he once sought on canvas could come to life on the plate. “I realized you don’t have to paint with oils; you can paint with food.”
Fast forward to today, and Byron has evolved from the kid in the dish pit to a dynamic leader shaping the brand’s next chapter. He oversees strategic development for Wolfgang Puck’s international ventures, including new restaurants in Bodrum, the Maldives, and beyond. “I want to bring the Spago experience to you,” he says, his excitement palpable. “You shouldn’t have to fly to Beverly Hills for it.”
Byron’s vision isn’t just about geographic expansion. It’s about marrying old-world hospitality with new-world tools. He speaks passionately about leveraging AI and CRM systems to enhance guest experiences while ensuring that every interaction feels personal. “Our original maître d’, Bernard, knew every guest by name,” he explains. “Technology allows us to replicate that intimacy on a global scale. Every server, every host, can be a Bernard.”
Despite his tech-forward approach, Byron’s commitment to tradition remains steadfast. At Spago Beverly Hills—a culinary landmark that’s been delighting diners for an impressive 42 years—he recently took the reins on a new menu concept, one that brilliantly honors its storied legacy while embracing the freshest modern culinary trends. “It’s about evolution,” he says, referencing the Japanese concept of kaizen, or continuous improvement—a philosophy instilled by his father. “Are we better today than we were yesterday?”
“It’s about evolution…are we better today than we were yesterday?”
Byron’s leadership style is equally progressive. He champions positive reinforcement, a lesson he credits to both his father and a line from the Christopher Nolan film Inception. “Treat people with respect and encouragement,” he says, “and they’ll show up as their best selves.”
His sartorial choices, much like his approach to business, are anything but ordinary. On the day we met, Byron was resplendent in a paisley ensemble, a nod to his mother’s influence on his eclectic style. “We’re built to see color,” he says with a grin, “so why not wear it?”
Looking ahead, Byron envisions a future where Wolfgang Puck’s hospitality extends beyond restaurants. “I want to take care of our guests from check-in to check-out,” he says, hinting at ambitions to enter the hotel space. “Imagine a Wolfgang Puck hotel where every detail—from the dining room to the pillow you lay your head on—is designed with care.”
“This company is like a living organism, and it’s my job to nurture it.”
When I ask him about the weight of carrying such a storied legacy, Byron doesn’t flinch. “I’m not here to just maintain what my father built; I’m here to grow it,” he says with conviction. “This company is like a living organism, and it’s my job to nurture it.”
As he wrapped up our conversation, Byron was already packing his bags to head to Saudi Arabia. “I’m off to Riyadh tomorrow,” he says, describing the excitement of launching a pop-up for CUT, one of the group’s signature brands, in the luxe Via Riyadh. “It’s a vibrant city exploding with development right now, and we’re bringing the CUT experience right to their doorstep.”
And with that, he’s off—another city, another menu, another masterpiece awaiting his touch. At an age when most of us are still figuring out which fork to use, Byron Lazaroff-Puck is already setting the table for the next era of luxury dining—and doing it all with a smile as bright as his future. –