How Peter Zweiner, founder of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, is serving up a slice of New York
Peter Zweiner, founder of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in the US, has a simple recipe for success: buying the best steak, ageing it in-house, c ooking it without fuss and bringing it to the table. It is a formula Hong Kong diners can now enjoy
We talk to Wolfgang’s Steakhouse founder Peter Zweiner about his Hong Kong outlet and the growth of the restaurant brand in Asia, as well as his future expansion plans. With his return to Hong Kong, he hosted a private dinner, calling it “A Night With Peter Zweiner”, and serving one of the staples from Wolfgang’s Steakhouse – the renowned 1200g Tomahawk steak.
Q: Why did you decide to open up here in Hong Kong, and specifically in Central, in 2017?
First of all, Hong Kong is an extremely important market for our global expansion. Our brand, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, started in 2004 in New York, and the first one did so well we decided to open a second one there. Then we decided to go to another state, and then we said OK – let’s go international.
At that time there were restrictions on importing US beef, so we didn’t want to do it right away. We waited until a lot of the restrictions were lifted, and in 2013 Asia duly started lifting some. We picked certain cities, and Hong Kong was one of the top cities that we needed to be in, but sometimes the timing has to be right – you have to find the right location, the right partner... so we always knew we were going to get there, we just didn’t know exactly when.
The first location that we wanted to be in is on the island, and if we do the second one, it can be in Kowloon. So we looked at Central because it was the right location. I like being on ground floors, and we always like to be front and centre. We found this street – Duddell Street, right in the heart of Central, easy to find, right by the stairwell and landmarks.
Hong Kong is a very cosmopolitan kind of city. People really respect and know their food, and we feel that we have the best steak – a USDA steak, because there are so many different countries that have steak and I respect all the different kinds, but when it comes to a US steak, this is the best New York-style steakhouse. We are very proud of it, and we want to bring our concept to Asia because we’re very passionate about it.
2. Has anything changed for the Hong Kong menu to suit local palates?
When you have a brand you know you have to make that decision – do you want to be true to your brand, or do you change it? So we did some analysis, and when you start changing your brand too much, you lose your true identity.