Ludwigsvorstadt – Peter Feigl is a restaurateur in the third generation. The landlord started out as a cook and was a fish wholesaler. In 1996 he invested his entire inheritance, took out a loan and bought a house at Zenettistraße 12: the former management and cash desk building of the slaughterhouse. Feigl started what would be called a pop-up restaurant today: a small fish bistro within his own fish trade.
In the following years he repeatedly invested in the building, especially in event equipment and technology, and made it what the Atlantik Restaurant is today: an upscale restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere and focus on corporate and private events. His wife Anja has now also entered the family business with a lot of passion.
Peter Feigl has been afraid of existence since mid-March. “My entire life including old-age provision is going down the drain,” says the restaurateur frankly. At the beginning of the crisis, the couple are still optimistic. The one-time emergency aid from the state – in their case in the amount of 15,000 euros – comes quickly. With the short-time work allowance, it takes longer. Because the whole procedure is not as “unbureaucratic and simple” as promised at the beginning of the lockdown. The first deposit is due at the end of April.
Feigl: “So far we have paid 35,000 euros every month”
To date, the Feigls have received a total of 75,000 euros in short-time work benefits. Your wage costs for the past seven months for twelve permanent employees totaled 182,000 euros. The Feigls also apply for immediate credit from the KFW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) for restaurateurs. And have to wait. At the end of May, they were granted a loan of 300,000 euros. At the end of October the money is as good as used up.
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“Up until now we have paid 35,000 euros on top of that every month. Nobody sees that,” explains Feigl. Why? Outwardly everything looks in perfect order. Everyone lends a hand, working under high pressure. On Fridays and Saturdays the restaurant offers five-course lunch boxes (between 55 and 69 euros). That has to be planned, organized and implemented. From the kitchen to advertising on social media channels to packaging. “On good days we sold 70 of them. To make a profit, we would have had to sell at least 250,” says Anja Feigl-von Borch with resignation.
Atlantik Restaurant: Events are canceled
In addition, the Feigls quickly convert the place into a wine and champagne trade at wholesale prices. But you only generate revenue with it if people buy several boxes at the same time. Most of them only take individual bottles. After the restaurant has reopened, the Atlantik Restaurant can only offer 60 percent of its seats. Events, an important mainstay of the restaurant, have to be canceled due to the constant new regulations. Again and again guests cancel reservations or only four guests come instead of the planned eight.
Such fluctuations make planning the purchase of goods extremely difficult. Especially since the suppliers are also suffering from the Corona crisis. With fresh game fish and lobster, there can be a fluctuation of ten to 15 euros per kilo. It’s difficult to convey that to the guests. Compliance with the corona rules also means stress for the entire team. “The mask requirement was completely new for us too, and people make mistakes. For fear of doing something wrong, I developed a real paranoia,” says Peter Feigl.
Burnout and resignation after the fight
With a triple herniated disc and symptoms of burnout, he was admitted to a clinic in the summer. But it has to go on; after all, the loans must be paid off. The couple applied for further help from the state. And comes away empty-handed. The aids are only set according to sales, not profit. “We made sales. But with huge losses. And that’s why we dropped out of further Corona aid,” complains Peter Feigl.
His wife is disappointed: “The hurdles for state aid are completely beyond reality. We feel left alone.” The Feigls are worried about the second lockdown. They no longer offer the to-go boxes. They would only pay extra. Everything they have earned so far is in their restaurant. The working conditions in the last few months have been exhausting: no planning security and constant change. All that remains at the moment is fear, anger, disappointment and powerlessness. And the big question: “If our existence is destroyed, who should we turn to?”
