District of forchheim: corona crisis a disaster for restaurateurs
In the forchheim region, too, companies have to deal with the issue of coronavirus. Dipak sapre supplies "raw materials for lace cakes" with his pretzfeld company spices and ingredients to the retail trade. "We have immediately tightened the hygiene checks in the company", he tells. For example, handles are disinfected twice a day and face masks are worn. "For two weeks we have lost the export business, but the demand from german companies has increased", reports sapre. Work is done with fewer employees, the foreign temporary workers have gone back to their home countries. The company has announced short-time work as a precautionary measure.
Standstill after italy
The cross-border traffic of goods came to a standstill. "Straight to italy. We have supplied many wholesalers in the catering industry", explains sapre. There is more demand from the retail trade; however, less for exclusive products, but rather for products for basic supply. Dipak sapre does not currently see any bottlenecks here either.
Store closed
Johannes haas has closed his store in pretzfeld. The owner of the "noble haas" distillery sells its products only online or by order. "I am lucky because our brands and other products have a long shelf life", he says. The company may lack revenue from liquor samples and store sales, but haas has built up a financial cushion and is broadly positioned in his company: "the important thing is health. We don’t do short-time work, but work on things that have been left undone."
Hygiene inspections
Hygiene inspections have also been tightened in his company and employees have their own work areas. Some employees are out mulching, others are trimming trees. "There is enough to do. But health should always come first. And I am firmly convinced that we will get everything back on track", says johannes haas. He points out that maybe now some people will realize how important german products and local agriculture are: "it’s no use ruining everything here." He knows that the catering industry is in a very bad way at the moment.
"Nikl-brau"
Mike schmitt from pretzfeld’s "nikl-brau" delivers to the catering trade his beer. "The current situation is a disaster for us", schmitt sums up. He had to cancel all in-house courses and he received cancellations of events and beer festivals: "that’s exactly how we earn our money. And now in spring, when the weather is getting nicer and people are going out." He had to announce short-time work and cancels many deliveries of goods. Now he lives from the sales in the retail trade, because the gastronomy does not take any beer from him at the moment.
Bagged gastronomy
"Yes, things are extremely bad in the catering industry", confirms restaurateur marcus muller of the landgasthof lahner in veilbronn. Especially around easter, many bus excursionists used to visit his guesthouse. "I received cancellations from 50 buses in the last few days. I have lost 40 wedding parties and also communions and confirmations. Financially, it’s a disaster", tells muller. He is currently developing a concept together with some institutions to cook for emergency services such as doctors, fire department and others, as they are there for the burgers and are fully occupied. He is also considering closing his restaurant and cooking for a retirement home. Muller expects a clear decision from the politicians: "as long as there can be a few more hours open, we have to be ready in case guests arrive. And that costs us money. Especially when no one comes and we have to throw away the goods."
Appeal to reason
In addition, he appeals to the common sense of the citizens to adhere to the regulations. "You are actually insulted when you close the store in the afternoon and guests think that they still want something to eat or drink."
Joinery long
The situation at the lange carpentry shop in ebermannstadt is different. "With us everything continues to run", says owner johannes lange. He has enough stocks and there are plenty of orders. Orders are mainly online, the employees can work on different machines. In 2010 he received the award "top-grunder im handwerk" awarded by the business magazine for craft entrepreneurs. Johannes lange’s concept of "carpenters for carpenters" is proof of this the second place. He had invested in modern machines and offers manufacturing tasks to smaller companies in the region if they cannot afford expensive machines themselves. "At the moment we have to stick together even more in the trade", says johannes long and tells that also across the zunfte the craftsmen join together and support. That’s why lange calls on people: "only together can we overcome this crisis. That’s why we shouldn’t all be looking out for ourselves, but have to do something together."
