Corona victims: The landlord of the Elkofen castle restaurant has to give up his business due to the pandemic.
Now he is sitting on a huge mountain of debt.
Grafing - There are no more benches in the beer garden, there is a light blue container in front of the house. Host Matthias Krickhahn (29) tidies up and tidies up. His brother Johannes (26) paints the window frames one last time. Friends help move. “We have to be outside in two weeks.” The corona pandemic has forced the two hosts of the popular castle restaurant in Elkofen to give up. What remains for the "Hias", as he was called by the guests, a personal bankruptcy and a five-figure mountain of debt.
“It just didn't work anymore”, the 29-year-old regrets that he had to pull the emergency brake.
He no longer has an apartment, he finds shelter with his girlfriend.
The fact that the host, valued by young and old alike, has to give up is not only regrettable for a loyal get-together.
The "Schlössl" in Elkofen is a place for excursions, to which many Munich residents who like to walk their dogs in the area also find.
Walkers and cyclists take a break and have a snack here.
Tavern in first lockdown: Hardly any customers for take-away
Then came Corona and the first lockdown. “At first we thought it would take maybe two weeks,” recalls the Hias. That was too optimistic. But it was to get a lot worse. The two brothers took over the business in October 2017. “The first year was tough,” remembers the landlord. But then the numbers got a little better every year. "It went uphill" until the first lockdown.
There are economies that were able to keep their heads above water with take-away food during this time, some of them more badly than right.
These are the inns in a central location with lots of walk-in customers.
But there aren't any in Elkofen, or at least not many.
“Some of them have already walked by and said they would be back in half an hour and then take something to eat,” reports Hias.
A drop in the ocean.
"We earn most of the money at the regulars' table and with the drinks."
Tavern in the second lockdown: Even the fire department tried to support
Between the first and the second lockdown, it is clear to the brothers that things are getting serious now.
“We have to take every guest with us,” says Johannes to his brother.
The two have bands perform in the beer garden.
“They were very accommodating to us with the fee.” But in the second lockdown, the takeaway business also deteriorates.
At the same time, the fixed costs are depressing, although negotiations were also carried out there.
The Elkofener fire brigade association donated its members two meals from the castle restaurant a second time to support the brothers.
The whole village is attached to his inn, of which there used to be several in the small town.
"And every landlord could make a living from it," says a long-time regular who has visited all of these inns himself for decades.
Tax office seizes immediate corona aid immediately after receipt
At the end of March, when Matthias Krickhahn did not receive any emergency aid promised by the state for December, a friend called the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Huber Aiwanger.
"Help was there the next day," reports Krickhahn, amazed.
The tax office was there immediately, of course.
“The aid was seized, and the tax advisor couldn't change it either.
That was the broken neck, from then on the bankruptcy could no longer be averted. ”Before that, the landlord would have had to introduce a new cash register system.
So say the law.
"We couldn't pay for that anymore, even if there had been help."
Then it all happens in quick succession.
"First they picked up the dishwasher for us," which was rented and is mandatory in the restaurant.
"Then the bin for the leftover food because we couldn't pay anything more." Finally, the landlord's car is also seized.
Now the personal bankruptcy is pending.
“I have practically nothing left, not even a contract mobile phone.” In this situation there are friends who say to Matthias Krickhahn: “We could lend you 10,000 euros.” But the landlord is certain: “I'm not going to bother myself on, friendship is more important to me. "
After Corona bankruptcy: Former pub operator will soon be working as a relocation aid
The trained chef is now unemployed until September 1st.
His additional bad luck: The corona pandemic has reduced the demand for kitchen staff.
“At the moment they only hire apprentices, dishwashers and young cooks, they are cheaper.” He wants to stay afloat as “moving helpers” from September.
He thanks his family, friends and relatives as well as the fire brigade and everyone who supported him.
What he liked about the castle restaurant was "the quaint and old".
That Corona happened like this, "is not my fault." The Hias will miss the restaurant.
“What I liked most about it was that I was part of Grafing.” Now he is moving to Zorneding.
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