“We are now pulling the ripcord,” says Holger Steding. Since 2018 he and his father-in-law have been running the Mississippi Diner on Steinstrasse in Rahden. Until this Sunday, April 26th, the restaurant still offers a delivery and pick-up service. “After that, we close forever,” says Steding.
80 percent of sales are missing
When asked by this newspaper, Holger Steding cited the reason for this as the severe drop in sales that currently results from the strict regulations during the corona pandemic. Another problem is also that he could not agree on a special arrangement with the landlord’s landlord, for example to reduce the rent, says the 42-year-old: “Unfortunately he did not accommodate us there.”
That’s why he decided relatively quickly to stop operating the Mississippi Diner. “The costs keep going and we don’t know when we can start operations again. Nobody can say that at the moment, ”explains Holger Steding. The restaurant’s sales have declined by 80 percent since the restrictions began. “The delivery service has already been accepted by our guests. But with 20 percent of other sales, we cannot continue to do so in the long run, ”he says.
Operator gets a lot of feedback on Facebook
The closure is now “really a shame” not only for the operator and his employees, but also for his guests, as the 42-year-old says: “Our schnitzel buffet and our homemade burgers were actually very well received. And so far the Mississippi Diner has also been a nice alternative to the other restaurants. ”In some cases, the guests even came from within a radius of up to 60 kilometers to use the XXL offers, says Steding:“ We already had something built up. The concept has been accepted and it was getting better and better. But we cannot compensate for this situation. ”
He runs the restaurant together with his father-in-law only as a sideline. Taking out a loan to continue financing the restaurant was therefore not a solution. Steding: “After all, we still have to pay the money back and there is no double turnover, even if we can open it again.” He already has no work for the ten temporary workers that Holger Steding employed before the Corona crisis. “The business is only running with the family.” That is why the Mississippi Diner can only be reached this week from Wednesday to Saturday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. by telephone on 05771/913291 for orders .
Steding will not be able to celebrate a farewell with his team and guests either. The operator announced the closure on Facebook on Sunday evening. “We got a great response there,” reports the 42-year-old. In more than 60 comments, many guests expressed their condolences, expressed their sadness at the news, and praised the Mississippi dinner for the dishes. “We are therefore considering offering castle events,” says Steding.
Outside areas should be allowed to open again
The catering businesses are currently the longest affected by the current business closings. He does not consider these “restriction strategies”, as Martin Wlecke, chairman of the Rahden trade association, to be appropriate in rural areas. In big cities this would certainly make sense, “but in rural areas it looks different,” he says. In his opinion, the outside catering should be allowed again. Distance regulations could be better implemented there. “The delivery service alone cannot make up for lost sales,” says Wlecke.
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