Alarming bankruptcy wave: Gastronomy in MV is fighting for survival!

Alarming bankruptcy wave: Gastronomy in MV is fighting for survival!

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Deutschland - The economic situation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania shows questionable tendencies. The dull in the economy has an impact on many industries, especially on gastronomy. According to the day ticket, the number of corporate insolvencies in 2024 had to accept an increase of 7.5 percent to 273 applications. It is particularly striking that the claims of the creditors add up to around 226 million euros, which means an increase of 10.7 percent.

An increasingly worrying picture arises when you look at the bankruptcies in the hospitality industry. In 2023, every ninth bankruptcy was a case from this industry, a total of 32 procedures, which corresponds to a dramatic increase of 52 percent compared to 2022, where there were only 21 bankruptcy proceedings. The development shows that the situation for many restaurants, often owner -managed, is becoming increasingly precarious. It is noteworthy that business tasks that do not appear in the statistics could still exacerbate the actual situation.

decline in sales and increasing costs

The sales in restaurants were about 18 percent below the level in front of Corona pandemic in the first quarter of 2025. In particular, state aids, which are reclaimed in many cases, are a further burden for the companies. In addition, rising energy, food and personnel costs are causing many gastronomies. Lars Schwarz, President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) in MV, describes the current bankruptcy figures as alarming.

As the data on the statistics portal show, a total of 126,597 new businesses were registered in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in 2024, while 128,892 trade were also deregistered. This imbalance underlines the challenges in front of which the entrepreneurs are facing. To help, there is hope of reducing VAT for food in the catering trade from 19 to 7 percent. This could ensure survival for some companies.

overall economic developments and trends

The nationwide developments are also alarming. The debtor & insolvency center reports that 5,209 corporate insolvencies were registered in Germany in the first quarter of 2024, which represents an increase of 26.5 percent compared to the previous year. In this context, a further increase in bankruptcies will also be expected by around 10 percent for 2024. The persistent inflation and rising interest rates have a negative impact on the financial stability of both companies and consumers.

These trends and developments could have serious effects on the economy and the employment situation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and beyond. The challenges are great, but the solutions are sparse and often in the distance.

The financial structures of local businesses are at risk and they fight for every little sales. The catering policy landscape, characterized by bankruptcies and closures, will certainly remain a hot topic in the coming months. Further developments will certainly also cause a stir in the coming months.

A positive turn will be wanted - it remains to be seen whether the hoped -for relief will have a short time effect.