SENIOR MANAGING PARTNER

Raised in Stamford, Connecticut, Kaplan relocated to Southern California in 1980 to pursue a career in architecture. After a short stint with a Beverly Hills-based design firm, he switched gears and joined Croissants USA as a designer and manager of their small chain of fast food stores. The restaurant, Ma Maison, later acquired the company while Wolfgang Puck was chef at the restaurant. It was then the two men met and established what has become a close and successful working relationship spanning four decades.

In 1982, Kaplan joined Spago upon its opening in West Hollywood. From its start, Wolfgang and Kaplan grew the company from one restaurant to a much larger, expanded group which included key strategic partnerships with luxury hotel brands and major hotels and casinos.

Kaplan moved to Las Vegas in 1992 to open Spago and now supervises what has become the preeminent restaurant group in the United States, with 20 restaurants coast to coast and overseas. Today, Spago’s culinary success has been repeated in various locales, with restaurants from Maui to Singapore, and soon to open London, taking the WPFDG brand to a level by which many other restaurant groups are measured.

Kaplan devotes a large part of his time to community charity projects. He was Vice President of the Wolfgang Puck-Barbara Lazaroff Charitable Foundation for nearly 30 years, benefiting the Los Angeles Chapters of Meals on Wheels. Since 1999, he's been Director of the Las Vegas-based Animal Foundation. In fitting with Kaplan's passion and knowledge the arts, the Las Vegas Art Museum appointed him to its Board of Directors in early 2007. In 2010, Kaplan joined the Board of Directors for the Council for a Better Nevada which is made up of key city leaders that develop solutions to create a sustainable and propserious community.  In 2011, Kaplan was nominated to join the UNLV Foundation Advisory Board to assist in enhancing the quality of the University and strengthen its mission of teaching, research and public service.  Also in 2011, Kaplan became a member of the prestigious Brookings Institute Metropolitan Leadership Council which is a network of business, civil and philanthropic leaders that acts as financial and intellectual partners of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program (Metro Program).  The Metro Program provides decision makers with cutting-edge trend analysis, research and policy ideas that empower metropolitan areas to compete and prosper.

His extensive commitment to charitable endeavors and the betterment of the community led him to become one of the first individuals in Las Vegas to be inducted into the Las Vegas Dozen which honors men in the Vegas Valley for their roles in business and community involvement. In 2011, Kaplan was named "Humanitarian of the Year" by Greenspun Media Group's publication Vegas Inc. at its inaugurual Angel Awards.

Kaplan has received many accolades including being named Nevada Restaurateur of the Year by the Las Vegas International Hotel & Restaurant Show in 2005 and one of the “50 Most Influential” in Nevada by In Business in 2008.

Kaplan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bowdoin College with a Bachelor’s degree in Art History and Visual Arts and a coordinate major in Environmental Studies. Kaplan had no formal training in restaurant management, with only his experience as a college fraternity dishwasher to guide him! He did, however, attend hospitality management seminars at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Management early in his career. It is ironic Kaplan would come to lead one of the most successful restaurant groups in the country since as captain of his high school and college wrestling teams for more than 9 years, he had to maintain a very strict diet and stay 20 pounds below his normal weight!

To compete with the rigors of the hospitality world, Kaplan enjoys running, cycling, skiing and hiking in the mountains with his Labrador retriever Buck. His passions include art, architecture, music, travel and Pinot Noir, all shared with his wife Elizabeth.

The Managing Partners for Wolfgang Puck are as passionate about music as Chef Puck. Connect with Tom Kaplan by listening to his favorite tunes on the Partners’ Playlist.

"The ultimate restaurant experience is best achieved by three pillars: extraordinary cuisine, exceptional service and cutting–edge design. We continually seek new ways to elevate the standards of fine dining through innovation, creativity and development of key partnerships with groups such as The Four Seasons and The Ritz–Carlton who display the same unparalleled passion, professionalism and commitment for which our group is recognized."