Cebuanos have been flocking to Wolfang’s Steakhouse Grill either to celebrate, meet with clients or just to unwind after a long day.
“Even my partners were shocked when they saw the crowd (of diners),” said Raymond Magdaluyo, Wolfang’s Steakhouse Philippines lead partner.
He said the branch met its targets in its first month of operation and is expected to exceed them in the coming months.
The Cebu branch is Wolfgang’s seventh location in the country and 46th globally. The chain was founded by Wolfgang Zwiener, who opened his first steakhouse on Park Avenue in New York City in 2004 with his son, Peter.
It is Wolfgang’s second branch outside Luzon, following its Boracay Island location in Aklan. The third opened in Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo City on Feb. 17.
Magdaluyo said he had planned to open a Cebu branch as early as 2016, shortly after launching their first Philippine location at Newport World Resorts in Pasay City.
He recalled that during a visit to Cebu a decade ago, he told his partners they would eventually open a branch in the city once they were ready.
Prime location
Two years ago, he began talking with Megaworld’s Mactan Newtown and SM City because he planned to open two branches of Wolfgang —one in Lapu-Lapu and another in Cebu City —for a back-to-back opening.
The Mactan Newtown’s branch was tabled because the developer needed a bigger space for a five-star hotel.
SM City, on the other hand, wanted Wolfgang in their expansion area where luxury brands would be located.
Magdaluyo said he saw SM City Cebu as an ideal location due to its central location and accessibility.
The mall ranks third nationwide among SM malls in terms of revenue and foot traffic.
He added that SM City Cebu is also a “hard-core business area,” where professionals frequently meet clients.
Doable
When he was putting up Wolfgang in SM City Cebu, Magdaluyo didn’t want it to be too big. He wanted something manageable.
Wolfgang's SM City Cebu has a 40-seater dining area that can be stretched to 50, a bar that can accommodate 15 people and a private room that is good for 10.
It is the same concept adopted in Wolfgang's Steakhouse Grill at Boracay Newcoast, Megaworld’s 150-hectare master-planned beachside tourism township. Indoor dining can accommodate 50 people and another 20 in its outdoor space.
The Iloilo branch is slightly smaller, with a seating capacity of about 30.
Magdaluyo said they only needed to bring in about 40 people or fill six to seven tables daily – something doable considering the high foot traffic in the location, including the number of tourists coming in the area.
To manage the cost, he added he also keeps a tight crew of about 15 people, working on a single shift because of the limited operating hours.
In Iloilo, for instance, the restaurants close early due to curfew for minors. In Cebu, the mall closes at 10 p.m.
“It is just a matter of managing your people, managing your cost and coming up with the market,” he said.
Flexible menu
Of course, Wolfgang’s menu caters to every mood and occasion while still showcasing its melt-in-your mouth, signature dry-aged steaks.
Magdaluyo said the menu features a wide selection, from seven salads to nine desserts, for diners who may not always be in the mood for steak.
Wolfgang’s at SM City Cebu adopts a grill concept, offering a more relaxed yet equally refined dining experience while staying true to the brand’s commitment to premium quality, exceptional service, and timeless culinary excellence.
Paired with beer or cocktails, the menu features elevated comfort food, including a New York-style pastrami sandwich, parihuela (Peruvian seafood soup), burgers, short rib quesadillas, skirt steak tacos, and Baked Alaska.
There are also choices of grilled salmon, jumbo lobster, seafood linguine and chicken parmigiana.
But the star remains the dry-aged USDA Prime Black Angus beef that is shipped directly (chilled) from the United States and delivered to all Wolfgang's Steakhouse restaurants.
All Wolfgang’s Steakhouse locations have an on-site dry-aging room, ensuring quality with every bite. At Wolfgang’s SM City Cebu, the dry-aging room is located within the restaurant.
If the one-kilogram porterhouse steak is too much, smaller cuts such as USDA Prime dry-aged sirloin (400g or 600g) or the 600g USDA Prime dry-aged ribeye are good options for sharing.
Alternatively, diners can opt for smaller, non-prime cuts such as sirloin cap (picanha), skirt steak, or petit filet au poivre—a classic French dish featuring filet mignon—served in portions ranging from 150g to 250g.
Flown from the US
Magdaluyo said the beef is flown chilled from the US Midwest to Cebu every 10 days, then aged for 28 days in the restaurant’s dry-aging room. He said tensions in the Gulf region at times disrupted their shipments.
Magdaluyo said their partnership with Zwiener ensures a steady supply of high-quality beef across all Wolfgang’s locations worldwide.
He added that the group is in Cebu for the long term, with plans to open at least one more branch in Mactan Newtown by the end of 2027.
“Cebu is definitely ready for Wolfgang’s,” he said. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
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