Dying inn

Young landlord gives up: “It’s no fun anymore”

More and more traditional inns are closing. Young landlord Lukas Gruber wanted to counter this with "honest craftsmanship" at the Schwarzer Adler in the Upper Styrian spa town of Aflenz - but now he is fed up with the corona chaos and is throwing in the towel in frustration.

The Schwarzer Adler inn in Aflenz is an institution. Behind the thick walls of the 300-year-old building lies a rustic and cozy restaurant that is rarely found today. For a few weeks now, however, the kitchen has remained cold and the regulars' table empty - tenant Lukas Gruber has thrown in the towel with a heavy heart and closed down after almost three years.

It's not really about the money, but it was no longer fun because of Corona. The sociability was lost.

Jungwirt Lukas Gruber

Turnover wasn't the problem
The 27-year-old is a landlord with heart and soul - but now he's had enough: "It just wasn't fun anymore with Corona," says the St. Lorenzen native. Turnover wasn't the problem: "It went really well. I had too much work and too few staff."

However, the hassle of measures for restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic has broken the young restaurateur's motivation. The lockdown for unvaccinated people was the straw that broke the camel's back: "You suddenly have to say to regulars and good friends: you're no longer allowed in. I found that very difficult."

Everyone is the same in the pub
For him, the pub is a place where everyone is equal - whether they're a lawyer, tradesman, student or farmer. "I don't want to play the pub sheriff. And then send people home at 10 p.m.," Gruber shakes his head.

There is a lack of planning security
The passionate chef was also bothered by the constant uncertainty: "You can't plan anything anymore. I have to order Martinigansln from the farmer relatively early. And then there might be another lockdown in the fall?" 

"Wanted to work against the loss of innkeepers"
It all started so well: After Gruber had already worked as a chef at the Schwarzer Adler for a few months, he took over the long-established restaurant in the heart of the market town of Aflenz in February 2019 - a bold step into self-employment for the then 24-year-old.

I wanted to work against the demise of innkeepers and show that honest craftsmanship is still worth something.

Lukas Gruber

Because even before corona, times weren't rosy for village inns. "I wanted to work against the demise of innkeepers and show that honest craftsmanship is still worth something," explains the trained chef. His concept was down-to-earth cuisine with high-quality, regional products. Gruber paid particular attention to fish - from his own pond.

His vision was a complete success: Not only the people of Aflenz enjoyed going to their village inn, the excellent food also attracted guests from the surrounding area to the village.

Return as landlord not ruled out
As in many Styrian towns, the village inn in Aflenz is now empty - it is unclear what will happen next. Lukas Gruber is now devoting more time to his fish farm.

However, he is not ruling out a return to the restaurant trade and hopes that the industry will return to its old values: "It would be a shame if in a few years' time we only eat from vending machines and nobody talks to each other anymore."