Tim Mälzer (Vox) at Markus Lanz (ZDF): "I won't make it" - bitter tears because of the coronavirus

Shortly before the summer break of the TV talk show by Markus Lanz, the focus falls on star chef Tim Mälzer. In the ZDF broadcast, the Hamburg restaurateur speaks about his emotional outburst from May 2020. He describes the difficult situation of restaurants and catering establishments in the Hanseatic city.

• Tim Mälzer * wrestles with his tears again at Markus Lanz * .
• Koch from Hamburg * talks about his emotional outburst .
• Gastronomy is fighting for financial survival .

Hamburg / Altona - In the last Markus Lanz issue before the summer break on Thursday, July 9, 2020, star chef Tim Mälzer , Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD) , CDU politician Stephan Pusch , Bernhild Braun , head of a senior citizen center and the trainee Leonard Heß visits the studio in Hamburg-Altona. The focus is clearly on the Hamburg restaurateur Mälzer , who speaks about his tearful appearance on the ZDF talk show on May 5, 2020 *. Does history even repeat itself?

Markus Lanz (ZDF): “Kitchen Impossible” star Tim Mälzer (Vox) speaks to a Hamburg group about his “crybaby appearance” and the situation of the restaurants

The overture and the same time the highlight of the time last edition of the popular ZDF talk show Markus Lanz deliver "Kitchen Impossible" star Tim maltsters (Vox) and Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD). The Hamburg restaurateur will first be shown his appearance in the Lanz group from the beginning of May. “I have zero euros in income . I have 200 employees who I have to pay in full, ”said the 49-year-old at the time, among other things. A lot has happened since then and the Elmshorn native can now again entertain guests in his restaurant “The Good Embassy” - albeit under strict conditions .

Markus Lanz in his final show before the summer break.

© Screenshot ZDF Mediathek / Markus Lanz

Basically, it should be noted that operations in restaurants and bars in all 16 federal states have picked up speed again. What at first reads like going back to a time of the ideal world turns out to be a precarious situation when you take a closer look. Because the effects of the Coronavirus-Sars-CoV-2 * crisis are still noticeable. "We saw the dangers coming and quickly saw that this would have serious consequences for the entire industry ," says Tim Mälzer .

Finale Markus Lanz broadcast (ZDF) before the summer break - Kitchen Impossible Star (Vox) Tim Mälzer close to tears again

He himself was in a state of “ shock ” - and alludes to the drastic words of Hubertus Heil , who sketched a dreary scenario for Markus Lanz . In view of the crisis, the state could not guarantee jobs and, due to the virus , 98 percent of those employed in the catering sector were on short-time work , the SPD politician said at the time . Confronted with these statements, the Hamburg star chef broke all dams and the tearful fight began.

Markus Lanz has Tim Mälzer as a guest again in his final show before the summer break. Again he is close to tears.

© Screenshot ZDF Mediathek / Markus Lanz

But back to the here and now. In an interview with the ZDF talkmaster, Mälzer said that the pandemic ultimately hit him harder than originally thought. The 49-year-old is alluding to a major renovation of his “ Bullerei ” restaurant in Hamburg, for which the restaurateur had taken out a loan . He and his team would have made jokes about how high this loan could be and what economic risk this form of financial support would take. The rude awakening, free from any jokes, should follow quickly.

Markus Lanz (ZDF): Hamburg restaurateur Tim Mälzer with a speech of thanks to Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD)

A turnover of zero euros was the word-case scenario , the TV chef notes, not least with regard to the loan. It is an unimaginable, absurd situation for everyone. Then there was the sudden lockdown that Tim Mälzer talks about in the context of gastronomy operations. “We're not talking about bad business. We're not talking about any business, ”says the man from Hamburg quite clearly. He speaks of a utopia that no one on his team could have imagined. But Mälzer and his employees were quickly confronted with the harsh reality that was: " Zero euros in sales ".

Of course, Markus Lanz can't avoid speaking to the star chef about his “ crybaby appearance ” at the beginning of May. As reported by 24hamburg.de stars, Tim Mälzer recently commented on this in a gastronomy podcast *. But the 49-year-old now has the chance to put his emotional outburst at the “crime scene” Hamburg-Altona into perspective or to explain it. With his remarks, the restaurateur is also addressing Hubertus Heil , who was merely switched on , the trigger for his tears at the time .

Talk by Markus Lanz (ZDF) before the summer break: Labor Minister Hubertus Heil next to Tim Mälzer

Who now a Nachtreten or the like from Mälzer expected better of it will be taught quickly. Because the opposite is the case and the Hamburg chef gives a speech of thanks , which also goes to the SPD politician Karl Lauterbach, who was also part of Markus Lanz's group on May 5th . “At the end of the day, it was the first time that I understood how serious we are. There was no arguing there, it was said very clearly: In the worst case , it will keep us under control for a very, very long time, "the 49-year-old admits frankly.

#Lanz I ask Minister Heil on behalf of Tim Mälzer how an entrepreneur should pay a minimum wage of, say, € 1,000.00 in sales of € 1,200.00.

But that's not all. "At that moment my chatter from six weeks before became a reality [...] The fact that my words one day had something like substance was blessed with a terrible consequence for me . I thought: Sh ***, I won't make it, "says Tim Mälzer in Markus Lanz's ZDF talk show . At that moment, the restaurant operator simply felt a certain lack of prospects , since gastronomy was his life. “I can't do anything else,” says the man from Hamburg .

Markus Lanz (ZDF): Tim Mälzer (Vox) is fighting with tears again - TV chef between optimism and disorientation

“At that moment my entire existence was - I mean non-financial existence, it wasn't about not being able to buy anything more to eat. In that moment my life was gone. I asked myself: What am I doing now? “, The cook describes his disorientation at the time . Now labor minister Heil , who has bravely and quietly remained in the background, can finally speak up. He reported after said May broadcast of Markus Lanz with Tim maltsters , but also with many other business owners and self-employed people have spoken.

During the conversations on the phone, many of these people were " close to tears ". Similar to the TV chef, who is visibly emotionally agitated when he appears again on the ZDF talk show and has to fight with his tears . Heil says that it was uncomfortable for him to have triggered such an emotional reaction in Tim Mälzer with his statements . For the restaurateur , however, the Minister of Labor's statements were a "game changer ". “The whole thing also becomes human from a political point of view. We restaurateurs are seen ”, Mälzer suddenly seems very grateful.

Markus Lanz (ZDF): Hamburg's TV chef Tim Mälzer from Kitchen Impossible (Vox) is close to tears

Lanz then wanted to know from the 49-year-old what the current situation in gastronomy is . He is silent for several seconds, struggles for words and takes a deep breath. His body language already reveals that it still does not look too rosy even after relaxation measures. Finally Mälzer catches up and explains: “A friend of mine once said:  Germany  only needs good weather twice. Once in 2006 in the summer fairy tale , once now after Corona ”. He is alluding to the summer terraces of the restaurants , which are supposed to stimulate business again.

Tim Mälzer had to fight back tears with Markus Lanz.

© Screenshot ZDF Mediathek / Markus Lanz

In the end, the TV chef still finds positive words. “We really got away with a bloody nose. Of course we have lost prosperity , but prosperity against life, I believe, is something else entirely. We have been given a lot of hearing, hearing and opportunities. Now it's up to us to see ourselves as part of society and to proactively take a step back, ”says Tim Mälzer .

Even after Markus Lanz's summer break, which ends on August 11 *, the situation of the catering establishments could be discussed again. Maybe again with the Hamburg chef . A chronological list * of the ZDF talk show programs discussed by 24hamburg.de as well as the highlights of the past months * provide sufficient reading material until then. * 24hamburg.de and tz.de are part of the Ippen-Digital network.

List of rubric lists: © Screenshot ZDF Mediathek / Markus Lanz