It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of our restaurant’s founder and our patriarch, Chef and Owner Wolfgang Joseph Gropp. He passed away on July 22nd, surrounded by his family, at his home in Sandy Springs. Born June 9, 1937, in Coburg, Germany, he went by the nickname “Wolf”. Wolf trained in many prestigious restaurants all over Europe and America, including the Hotel Beau-Rivage, Geneva, Switzerland; the Grand Hotel St. Helier, Jersey-Channel Islands; The Savoy Hotel, London, England; and Chateau Frontenac, Quebec, Canada. One of the highlights in his life was preparing food for the Queen of England.
In August of 1974, Wolf opened the popular Petite Auberge Restaurant, in Toco Hills. The legendary restaurant remained in that location for 42 years and recently was relocated to Clairmont Road and renamed Petite Violette.
Today, Petite Violette, owned by his sons Michael and Anthony, still serves his world-class recipes and is an all-time favorite restaurant in Atlanta. The talented, spirited, and warm-hearted Wolfgang Gropp will be greatly missed by family, friends, and customers, alike. A memorial service will be held by the family at a later date.