Pizza for everyone: This market Schwabener Wirt invites Ukrainian families

Created: 2022-12-15Updated: 2022-12-15, 2:27 p.m

By: Joerg Domke

Toni Shala (45) and his family had the idea of ​​inviting Ukrainian guests to the "Il Lago" restaurant in Markt Schwaben.

Unfortunately, not as many came as he had expected.

Salads and dessert are already prepared The internet in Ukraine is a big concern here © Johannes Dziemballa

The "Il Lago" landlord from Markt Schwaben came up with a very special "Christmas greeting": He invited Ukrainian refugee families to his restaurant for dinner.

Markt Schwaben – Toni Shala looks at his watch expectantly and yet a little tensely.

It's just before 5 p.m. on this wet and, above all, cold Tuesday.

And almost none of the guests who had been invited by the landlord of the "Il Lago" restaurant in the Swabian sports center in the days and weeks before for this late afternoon are still there.

The foyer of the athletes' home right in front of the entrance to his leased restaurant fills up only very slowly.

A few mothers come with their mostly small children.

Some even push prams through the cold.

The host expects up to 60 guests

After all, Shala set the table for a maximum of 60 visitors on this December winter day.

The "Il Lago" boss was motivated now, in the pre-Christmas period, to want to do something for the people who had fled from the Ukraine in Markt Schwaben.

"Instead of a welcome greeting, a greeting for Christmas," says the 45-year-old, smiling.

Originally, he tells in further long minutes of waiting, he, his wife and his two children had the idea to donate something for the Ukrainians.

But then another thought came up very quickly: Why not invite war refugees to a meal in the restaurant?

After all, Toni Shala had already had experience with charities on a larger scale.

In 2020, at the first peak of the corona crisis, when the residents of local retirement homes were unable to maintain contact with the outside world, he once baked dozens of pizzas and delivered them to the home on the spot.

Shala and his team wanted to do something similar when the first Ukrainians arrived in the market town this spring.

But for a variety of reasons, that didn't work out.

So last Tuesday, so to speak, the second attempt.

It is well over half an hour after the agreed meeting point, and many of the guests whom Toni Shala had spoken to in advance are still missing.

Salads and tiramisu have long been largely prepared.

The landlord and his staff naturally want to prepare the pizzas freshly.

That's the plan.

"In the summer, many Ukrainians came to the bathing pond, so I approached a few," reports Shala, who has been running "Il Lago" for seven years, the last three of which he was solely responsible for.

The final invitation on December 13, he says, was largely word of mouth.

Unfortunately, some places remain free

Vera Röslmaier also has no explanation as to why the influx is so tough this late afternoon.

She was born in the Urals, so she comes from Russia, has been living in Markt Schwaben for eight years and has been helping out as a volunteer interpreter for a good six months.

For example, when the Ukrainians have to deal with authorities.

Or to visit the job center.

It's quite possible, says the 38-year-old, that some simply couldn't find their way to the sports center.

What is certain, however, is that some had to cancel due to various illnesses, which seem to be particularly prevalent in places where there are many small children.

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My space

The fact that she is Russian and the others in the room are of Ukrainian origin is not an issue here, assures Vera Röslmaier, who came with her little daughter.

War is not an issue here, as far as she is concerned.

Otherwise, of course.

At the moment, she says, many people are very worried because the internet doesn't always work in Ukraine and the women and children can't keep in touch reliably with their husbands or fathers at home.

Not being able to reach the men at home creates fear, she says.

Many are looking for housing

Another, more pressing problem: Many here are grateful to have found temporary accommodation.

But in practice it is not always unproblematic to share accommodation with up to seven other people, especially since you didn't even remotely know each other at first.

The desire for smaller apartments is therefore definitely there, reports the volunteer translator, who otherwise works in the commercial area in Markt Schwaben.

One remark, it seems, is particularly important to her.

Everyone is longing to be able to get home as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the restaurant hall is at least half full.

Toni Shala is beaming at least a little more than an hour ago.

And juggles the first fresh pizzas to the seats.

A small gift table has been created in the foyer;

with nicely decorated packages and a few little things for the upcoming Christmas party for the guests.

You can find more current news from the district of Ebersberg at Merkur.de/Ebersberg.