The “Empty Chairs” campaign aims to draw attention to the problems of restaurateurs, hoteliers and organizers. 80 cities participate – including Würzburg and Schweinfurt.
“We don’t want to pile up, we don’t want to get rich through the crisis – we want to survive”: In Würzburg and Schweinfurt, almost 120 restaurateurs, hoteliers and entrepreneurs from the event industry protested on Friday morning for an expansion of emergency aid. In addition to a clear plan for the reopening of the catering business, the main demand was a permanent reduction in VAT to seven percent and an increase in short-time allowance.
In order to emphasize the demands, chairs were announced on the marketplaces. As in a total of 80 German cities, these are intended to illustrate the suffering of entrepreneurs, so the chairs with the names of the participating companies were demonstratively empty in front of an orphaned table. The participating innkeepers want to make it clear that food “to go” and pick-up services are not enough to survive the standstill until summer and to recover from the consequences of loss of earnings.
Photo: Silvia Gralla
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The restaurateurs were the first to close after the new decisions and may be the last to open again. “It is important to us to draw attention to the gastronomy and the tourism industry in general. The decisions that are made by the government are taking too long,” says Daniel Klein of the Würzburg restaurant “Der Auflauf”, who put up one of the chairs.
Clear regulations on events are also very important to her. Many could not give their customers precise information about tickets they had already purchased. The demand therefore: A clear regulation for the conversion of purchased and already paid tickets into vouchers.
“The seven percent VAT for a year is a start, but the help that is needed immediately is lacking.”
Daniel Klein, “The Casserole” Restaurant–
Klein emphasizes that overall it is all about quick help and decisions: “The seven percent VAT for a year is a start, but the help that is needed immediately is missing.” In his opinion, long-term planning was also required. “We simply cannot assess how the situation will continue.” Because even if they were allowed to open again, it is unclear what the customer’s behavior is and whether guests may also be absent.
“If you do not start up again soon, there will soon be nothing left to start up,” criticized a bar and beer garden owner in Schweinfurt. When it comes to loosening, many innkeepers rely more on plexiglass panes between the tables than on distance rules.
With their protest, the restaurateurs immediately achieved at least one goal: attention. “It is nice that so many participate and participate,” said Martina Kriener from Würzbruger’s Café Bassanese. Most passers-by would have shown understanding for the anger of the restaurateurs. “It is important to us that we are seen, stand out and that the movement brings something. We also want to be able to open again soon, of course in compliance with legal regulations,” emphasized Beatrix Fini from Dean & David’s.
Photo: Uwe Eichler
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The campaign will continue in the next few weeks. Every Friday the empty chairs are said to be on the two marketplaces.
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