Three rent increases

Popular restaurant in the cultural capital closes

After six and a half years, the lights went out in the "Corfu". The Capital of Culture thus lost its only thriving Greek restaurant.

(Bild: Hörmandinger Reinhard)

Since 2021, the rent for the "Corfu" in Bad Ischl has been increased three times. The restaurant owner looked on for a long time, but is now no longer playing along. Instead of renewing the contract, he is closing the restaurant after six and a half years. The 45-year-old Greek also no longer wants to stay in the cultural capital. 

Since 2018, the "Taverne Corfu" on Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Straße in Ischl has been the epitome of Mediterranean friendliness paired with excellent Greek cuisine. Ilias Nikolaou runs the popular restaurant together with his partner and parents. "In the old Greek tradition, the guest is not only king, but always a friend," says the 45-year-old, regretting the end of the popular restaurant. In contrast to many other restaurants, a lack of staff was not the main reason for the surprising closure.

Since 2021, the rent has been increased from 2400 to 3500 euros. There has to be a limit somewhere. I'm pretty sure I won't be staying in Bad Ischl.

Ilias Nikolaou, „Corfu“-Besitzer

"Our rent has been increased every year since 2021. Instead of 2400 euros, we now pay 3500 euros. I would have liked to extend the contract for another three years, but then I would soon have had to pay 4,000 euros. There has to be a limit somewhere," says the Athens native, bitterly disappointed.

Farewell to Bad Ischl
He will probably turn his back on the Capital of Culture. "I'm a gastro kid and have been working in the industry for 25 years. That's why I'll probably open a restaurant again. I can't say where that will be yet." The likeable restaurant owner is already used to moving - even to other countries.

Ilias Nikolaou is thinking about leaving Bad Ischl.

(Bild: ZVG)

Before opening the "Corfu", he ran a restaurant in Germany with his family for ten years. The deputy mayor of Ischl, Hannes Mathes from the citizens' list of the same name, regrets the closure of the restaurant. "It seemed to be doing well and the guests were mostly very satisfied. Unfortunately, the general conditions for gastronomy in our city have deteriorated." Mathes cites, among other things, the 15 percent increase in water and sewerage charges. He is also critical of the loss of many parking spaces in the city center. "We also need to think about how we can organize more events in the city centre again."