This week Wolfgang Puck announced that Spago was moving up. By 'up' I mean the lease was up ... and so he's moving on up ... to The Bellagio across the street. Caesars' management wanted to gouge him on the rent.
Once upon a time, in a Vegas far far away (in 1992, actually) ... Puck's Spago ushered-in the concept of 5-star, celebrity-chef Vegas dining venues. And, for many years, Spago was a significant draw contributing to The Forum Shops' customer traffic ... not only due to its chef-branding, but due to the glitterati that could often be glimpsed dining on its patio.
But Caesars' management wanted to gouge him on the rent. So that's the end of that. Caesars' executives sure know how to teach someone a lesson when he doesn't wanna play ball, what by forcing him to set up shop in The Bellagio and all.
This ain't the only high-ender to vacate The Forum in its more recent history. Quickest to come to my mind: An Escada storefront ... and Truefitt & Hill, Britain's barber to the Royal Court and seller of exquisite & upscale men's grooming product. But there's been plenty of others.
Caesars' management will likely have to bust up the floor space and parcel it out ... in order to get the higher price it wants. So be on the lookout for Sbarro, White Castle and Panda Express franchises soon enough.
The legacy of former-CEO Gary Loveman lives on.