Some are better positioned than ever, others have not been able to open since November: Corona has "turned everything inside out" in the catering trade.
Freising
- "I'm particularly sorry for the Freising people", regrets Marc Sielhöfer. The owner of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Freising had to close the restaurant last November. The reason: There is a lack of employees everywhere. This massive "side effect" of the corona virus is causing problems for the industry in Freising. Despite difficult phases, there is pure optimism in Freising's largest and best-known restaurant: "We have also seen Corona as an opportunity and are better positioned for the future than ever before," says Thierry Willems, head of the Weihenstephan Bräustüberl.
Very few employees migrated during the lockdown and could have been replaced quickly. They were therefore well equipped for the summer business - and that went very well, as Thierry Willems reports. Even now he could not complain: "Smaller groups are coming to us again, and some Freising companies have already made reservations for larger Christmas parties." the Bräustüberl host is sure. "Then we will get off to a flying start."
And the misery of employees?
"A fortune" has been invested here, reports Willems.
In order to find skilled workers, you also have to offer housing, which is why you bought an apartment in Freising.
In addition, a very large apartment in a university outbuilding had been converted into a shared flat for employees, and apartments for employees had been set up in the Bräustüberl complex itself.
In this way it was possible to find good specialists, also from abroad.
So you already have a stable personnel basis for future full operation after Corona.
After investing in the digitization of the company, the Bräustüberl is better positioned than ever before.
Many have oriented themselves differently
The situation in the Bayerischer Hof remains difficult. "Many have oriented themselves differently in the course of the lockdowns," reports owner Marc Sielhöfer. "You have noticed that you can make ends meet with regular working hours". And whoever is out of the gastro rhythm with work on the weekend and until late in the evening, “it is very difficult for him to get used to it again”. The closure of the restaurant in November 2020 was ultimately inevitable: “We can't do more than advertise in the specialist media and locally,” says Sielhofer, “but the response was and is poor”. When the restaurants were finally allowed to reopen, there were enormous gaps in the team - which “spoiled our warm start,” as the hotel manager says. Building a team and then replacing individual employees again and again,is just easier than starting from a long lockdown. Sielhöfer is currently looking for cooks, service staff, housekeeping and reception staff. As far as needs are concerned, “there are no upper limits”.
The gaps are difficult to close
The same applies to the Killermann family with the Vöttinger Hotel and Restaurant Lerner. Most of the employees stayed despite the lockdowns, reports Johannes Killermann, "but some also left". And these gaps are difficult to close. Finding qualified staff for the kitchen - “you have to be very lucky”. After all, Freising is an immigration region with high staff turnover. Then you always find a new employee. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of work to do with the family, because you don't want to burden the employees too much: "It is important to us that they are satisfied with their job." Of course, Killermann, who is responsible for the hotel sector, is happy that the company has clearly revived. With events such as trade fairs,Meetings or workshops at the universities would also attract guests again - a clear upward trend.
The crisis can only be mastered in a team
Thierry Willems from the Bräustüberl also relies on him, who also likes Corona: “We have recognized that we have to be a team in order to master a crisis.
And we have learned how valuable our guests and our employees are.
They, in turn, saw how important a good employer is.
Corona also had something good - and maybe we all got off our high horse a bit. "
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