The tables are set – but no guest can sit at them. The beds are made – but they remain empty. With this symbolism, more than 30 restaurateurs in the district drew attention to their precarious situation on Monday and called for an opening perspective.
- Numerous restaurateurs in the district protested on Monday
- They joined a nationwide protest
- The innkeepers are demanding a prospect of reopening
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Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen – In many places the tables and beds were in front of the closed bars, some landlords had also appeared in front of the district office. The district hosts were mobilized by Monika Poschenrieder, the district chairwoman of the hotel and restaurant association. “When it was said at the beginning of November that we had to close, I really thought it would be over after four weeks,” she said when the restaurateurs on site exchanged views on the situation. “I said right away that it would last until Easter,” replied restaurateur Doreen Oberhauser from Egling. In the meantime, however, the hosts can no longer even count on it. “It’s like an endless loop – when you start thinking about it, you feel worn down,” said Ursula Werner from the “Altwirt” in Lenggries, describing her state of mind.
But not only psychologically, but especially economically, the restaurateurs are getting down to business after four months of closure. “The to-go business is just a drop in the ocean,” said “Altwirt” Robert Werner. According to the landlady, the Oberhauser family has to make ends meet as a “mixed operation” of hotel, restaurant and butcher shop without any government assistance. But even with those who get support, frustration grows. “You want to finally earn your own money again,” said Peter Mayerhofer, owner of the Gasthaus zum Stern in Seehausen am Staffelsee.
Even in front of their closed businesses, a number of restaurateurs drew attention to their precarious situation – as here at the Hotel Alpenhof Postillion in Kochel am See.
© Pfleger
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“Everyone is fighting,” summarized Monika Poschenrieder, who runs the “Walgerfranz” in Bad Tölz. “Many have used up their retirement provisions and reserves or taken out loans.” Even if there might not be an immediate wave of closings – the Tölzer landlady predicts long-term consequences. “Less will be invested in the future. But that is necessary to keep the businesses alive. ”Many a landlord will certainly no longer extend his lease,“ because he has no desire to work just to pay off his debts ”.
Julius Marx, who is currently completing his second year of training at the Posthotel Hofherr in Königsdorf, was also worried about his future. For the last four months, his everyday life has largely consisted of homeschooling – “You can’t let the trainees polish glasses that nobody uses all the time,” explained Hansi Hofherr, who also works in the family business. “What good is it to me to hear a thousand times in theory how I deal with a guest review if I don’t have personal contact with the guests,” trainee Marx asked himself. However, he is dependent on the qualification in order to build on it and one day run his own restaurant on his parents’ winery.
What the innkeepers demand above all is a reliable perspective. “We cannot ramp up our operations from one day to the next,” said Poschenrieder. For example, some employees would first have to be fetched back from abroad – with corresponding quarantine periods. Hotel guests need to book in advance – for example now for Easter, emphasized Hansi Hofherr.
The “Kolberbräu” on Tölzer Marktstrasse also took part in the campaign.
© Bock
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The hosts referred to their tried and tested hygiene concepts. “We haven’t received a single request from the health department about our contact tracing lists,” said Peter Mayerhofer. For him, that means: There was no evidence of infection in his inn.
His colleague Michael Wendel from the Landhotel Huber in Ambach is particularly annoyed that guests who buy takeaway food and drinks from him are not even allowed to stay on his property afterwards. After that, however, they would be huddled close together on even state land on the lakeshore. The same thing can be observed on the Isar, said Poschenrieder. “Something like that is much more dangerous than sitting in our beer garden with a distance and a hygiene concept,” said Robert Werner.
Lenggries mayor Stefan Klaffenbacher expressed his solidarity in front of the district office. “I think it’s good that a sign is being set here,” he said. “If the complete closure takes a long time, damage occurs that can no longer be absorbed.”
Support came from the head of the “Tölzer Land Tourismus” service point in the district administration, Andreas Wüstefeld. “We have a pub culture here with many family businesses instead of chain restaurants,” he said. Taverns were dying out before Corona. Now it is to be feared that the lockdown will work “like a giant fire accelerator”.
Also read: Lockdown end in Bavaria: These industries will open again on March 1st
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