Alfred Lehner was the landlord of the Emmeringer community center for over 32 years.
Now he has withdrawn for health reasons.
“It was a great time that I wouldn't want to miss,” says “Fredl”, as his friends and regulars call him.
There is already a successor.
Emmering -
Lehner stood behind the counter in the community center for the first time in October 1988. The restaurant had just opened and he was 28 years old.
At that time, Lehner would never have believed that the “marriage” with the community center would last such a long time.
Initially together with his specialist Andreas Hoffmann, Lehner, who comes from Lower Bavaria, not only ran the inn not only successfully, but also to the complete satisfaction of the community.
With Alfons Ostermeier, Michael Schanderl and Stefan Floerecke, Lehner experienced three mayors as landlords.
Bürgerhaus Emmering: You could write a book
It goes without saying that there is a lot to talk about in such a long era of inns.
“I could write a book,” says Lehner and laughs.
“Gastronomy was my life.
I don't think I would have ever enjoyed anything else professionally. "
Lehner was not only concerned about the physical well-being of his guests, but also about their state of mind.
He took an active part in the social life in the inn.
“I always have an ear for my guests,” he says.
Especially at the regulars' tables - such as the musicians' regulars' table - he was welcome as an illustrious conversationalist.
His guests particularly appreciated the fact that he was as secretive as a grave when it mattered.
Bürgerhaus Emmering: Many major events
The highlights of the year always included the major events such as carnival balls, performances by the theater group and many private celebrations.
"Imagine there is a wedding party going on and suddenly the power goes out," Lehner recalls of an incident that was less funny.
"It means to keep calm in order to save what can be saved."
Lehner fondly remembers a visit from politicians to his beer garden.
"First security guards showed up, checked everything and then the then finance minister Theo Waigel came and spent a leisurely afternoon in my beer garden," says the thoroughbred restaurateur.
Bürgerhaus Emmering: almost never a vacation
He first thought about taking it easy two or three years ago.
At that time he got health problems.
"And the stressful life of the inn was not necessarily good for my ailing health," says Lehner.
Nowadays it is not enough to just tap beer.
Over the years, more and more bureaucracy has been added.
“It's not my world,” says Lehner.
So he decided to quit - although his lease with the community would actually run for another two years.
“And now I'm still at an age where I can still do something.
As a landlord, I've hardly ever had a vacation.
At the beginning of January, Lehner withdrew.
Its head chef, Trong Binh Do, has been the host of the community center ever since.
"I am pleased that the community followed my suggestion to give Do a chance," says Lehner.
He'll be with his long-time partner in the kitchen for some time, because he can't really let go.
"I will step in where there is a need."
Lehner has no problem with the fact that he is now in the second row.
On the contrary: “I feel a little liberation from not being responsible anymore,” says the former landlord.
“It would be nice if the regulars would remain loyal to my successor,” he says.
And that the community center with its large beer garden will continue to be a popular point of contact in Emmering.
Bürgerhaus Emmering: The new tenant - a familiar face
In 1988, in the same year as Alfred Lehner became the host of the community center, Trong Binh Do came to the GDR from Vietnam.
He was one of the 60,000 contract workers that the GDR brought in.
And like 16,000 of his compatriots, he stayed after the fall of the Wall.
Do worked as a waitress in Asian restaurants, sometimes also as a cook.
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Trong Binh Do (r.) Now runs the community center.
He is supported administratively by his son Philipp.
© Metzler
When Do moved to Fürstenfeldbruck with his family, he found a job in the community center.
This has now turned into 23 years, although they were interrupted by a six-year break.
At that time, Do ran the Sedlmayr inn in Gernlinden as an independent host.
In 2011 the Vietnamese, who received the German passport in 2005, returned to the Emmeringer Bürgerhaus and took over the job as head chef.
After Lehner announced his retirement, he proposed his head chef to the community as his successor.
Despite the lockdown, Do liked the idea of taking over the town house's restaurant as the sole tenant.
At the beginning of the year he signed an 18-month contract with Mayor Stefan Floerecke (CSU).
“The community center is almost a sure-fire success,” says Philipp Do, the 29-year-old son of the new tenant.
He will support his father with the office work.
Philipp Do's main job is as a product manager at Knorr-Bremse.
He will not interfere in the operative business.
Home-style dishes will continue to be on the menu of the community center.
The number of staff will also remain the same.
Maybe Trong Binh Do would like to offer lunch and coffee and cake in the afternoon.
"I look forward to it when, hopefully, everything goes back to normal soon and I can greet my guests in the restaurant," he says.
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