Peter Fetz loves taverns — but he sees an economic problem. “When the older generation disappears, the grandmas and mums who used to be in the kitchen, you realize that you have to pay staff on marketable wages. In addition, most old taverns are huge properties that do not pay off financially. Then everything won't work out anymore. ”

Fetz has been running the family business since 2017. For him, creativity must come into play today. In Hirschen, various concepts have been devised. On the one hand: Since gastronomy and get-togethers are also at the core of a good hotel, in response to the travel restrictions during the pandemic, they considered opportunities for encounters and created the “Gasthaus zum Fernweh” — imaginary restaurants that offered culinary delights to other countries on various evenings at the Hirschen's fixed location and made possible changing surprises and good occupancy with friendly guests from the industry.

On the other hand, they have come up with a street food line that takes you to other places: Hirschen away from home. For him, temporary concepts are a counterpoint to standard business. “We do something we enjoy and get to know a lot of people on a low-threshold level.” The main thing is to get together, says Fetz: “For me, a mobile tavern is everything that results in people sitting together at the table. ”

Of course, you have to differentiate between running a stationary business or starting something new. “I would then try to integrate myself into existing infrastructure,” he returns to the question of costs. Mobile models would also have their economic hurdles, and investments would nip many things in the bud: From travel costs to set-up. However, capacity utilization is easier to achieve. “It's one time only. You can use it to set off a super test balloon to see if things work. This is extremely valuable, a vehicle for co-creating with others and is particularly important in places where the frequency is lacking. ”

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‍Peter Fetz is the tenth generation of Hotel Gasthof Hirschen Schwarzenberg in Vorarlberg and is always on the move with mobile catering concepts