Lockdowns During Corona Pandemic Were "Eye-Opening" for Gastronomy

Five years after COVID-19 and the accompanying lockdowns, many things have changed sustainably in the gastronomy sector as a result. More rest days are now apparent in the industry. Price increases are also noticeable, but these are also due to other crises such as the post-COVID energy price crisis. "The lockdowns were eye-opening," says Economic Chamber Gastronomy Chairman Mario Pulker.

Enforced Closures Brought Time for Family

"During the first lockdown, which also occurred over Easter, I sat down with the entire extended family for the holidays for the first time in many years," recalls Mario Pulker in an APA interview. The innkeeper and hotelier is the chairman of the gastronomy sector in the Economic Chamber and shares that this feeling of having time for the ultimately most important things in life was also experienced by many of his industry colleagues due to the enforced closures.

And: "Suddenly, many no longer had to constantly think: How many reservations are there for tonight? What do I still need to buy for tomorrow? Is the new menu plan already set up?"

COVID-19 Pandemic Brought Rethinking in the Industry

There was also a new calculation. "Is what I do even worth it? Do I earn enough for my service?" Many ultimately realized that they would only survive with cash flow and a "hole open - hole closed" tactic. "This triggered a huge rethinking," says Pulker. "The lockdowns were eye-opening."

The gastronomy sector is traditionally considered a very low-equity industry. "We kept going and never closed - partly with massive self-exploitation. The constant running covered up a lot with cash flow. It was far too cheap. 'Hole open - hole closed' no longer happens now." Many guests also saw and understood that things could not continue as before after COVID-19, according to Pulker.

More Rest Days and Less Staff

It has come to be that many businesses now have fixed closing times and rest days or more rest days. This is because, as an equally important point, Corona has led to a loss of employees for the industry. While the gastronomy sector had to close, many switched to retail. Not all have returned by far, and those who are working in gastronomy again are also paying more attention to their work-life balance. "Many no longer want to work full-time," says Pulker. He also states that Corona has strengthened the appreciation for employees in his industry because the crisis was often "experienced together and reopened together."

The gastronomy sector has somewhat lost the aura that jobs there are practically secure forever. The mandatory closures have ensured this. Additionally, the gastronomy sector has the third-highest insolvency rates by industry, behind construction and retail. Some observers speak of a trend towards higher and lower-priced gastronomic establishments and a decline in the mid-priced segment.

Inflation Only a Problem After Corona

In addition to the new attitude of many restaurateurs, wage increases for employees, which many industries are vying for, and general inflation have contributed to the rising prices. However, this was more the case only after Corona. Pulker is also keen to emphasize that gastronomy in rural areas has not raised prices nearly as much as those in large cities and tourist-heavy areas, from which prices strongly influence the static surveys, which Statistics Austria, however, denies.

Around the Corona subsidies that carried businesses through the crisis, there are still no legally binding repayment demands and almost no defaults. Everything that a business could not repay has so far been financed by the house banks. There are only "in the per mille range" of due settlements.

Face Masks Were Poorly Received by Guests

Forgotten are the times with mandatory mask-wearing when leaving the seat and similar temporary regulations for inns during the pandemic. These were introduced for the permission of interim openings and were particularly poorly received in Austria - even if they were supposed to protect against infection.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.