As of: March 8, 2024, 1:47 p.m
By: Sina Alonso Garcia
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A restaurateur in Waiblingen is breaking new ground: He offers all dishes at a standard price and collects donations for a good cause.
The goal: save taxes and set an example.
Waiblingen - The increase in VAT in the catering industry has meant that eating out in Germany will be significantly more expensive in 2024 than in the previous year.
Matthias Hönes, a passionate restaurateur from Baden-Württemberg, is countering the rising costs with an unusual measure.
He introduced a standard price in his tavern on Alten Postplatz in Waiblingen.
Over a period of four weeks, guests can enjoy dishes from the menu for just 6.90 euros - supplemented by a voluntary donation for a good cause.
As Hönes explains to the
Stuttgarter Nachrichten
, he, like many of his colleagues, was angry about the VAT increase for the catering industry.
The industry is already suffering from the effects of Corona and inflation.
Hönes, who also runs the CBC restaurants in Fellbach and Waiblingen as well as the CBC beer garden in the Schützenhaus in Korb, did not want to simply accept the fact that 19 percent instead of seven percent has been in effect again since January.
He didn't want to simply pass on the increase in prices to his guests.
He describes his solution as a “win-win situation”.
Wirt explains what’s behind the discount campaign
Instead of the usual 28.90 euros, the onion roast with spaetzle at the inn on Alter Postplatz now only costs 6.90 euros (symbolic image).
© IMAGO/Zoonar.com/Photographer: Bernd Juergens
The restaurant announced the promotion on Instagram, which started on February 19th and runs until March 17th.
It is a “mega event in which everyone can do something really great”.
It also explains that the donations go to the Pusteblume children's hospice, the Tafelladen in Waiblingen and the stray friends Lugoj-Romania.
But what else is behind this step - apart from the non-profit status?
In order to take a stand against the increased VAT, Hönes thought about how he could save taxes.
As the
Stuttgarter Zeitung
reports, he calculated the average value of the food.
His calculation came to 6.90 euros.
The idea: During the promotional weeks he doesn't earn any money from the food alone, but he does generate the necessary income through the increased number of guests and the higher consumption of drinks.
So far this calculation has worked.
Matthias Hönes' phone hasn't stopped since the campaign was announced.
It's not uncommon for the innkeeper to receive 400 calls an hour and he probably hasn't had as many reservations as he currently has in a long time.
It's obviously worth coming by in person because, according to the restaurateur, you often can't get through by phone.
As he says, customers are enthusiastic about the campaign and the quality of the food.
The voluntary donation proceeds as follows: After the meal, a box comes to the table with the bill into which the guests can put an amount of money at their own discretion.
According to Hönes, the donation amount is 100 percent deductible and reduces the burden of the increased VAT.