Sad end: Gadebusch's legendary restaurant closes forever!

Sad end: Gadebusch's legendary restaurant closes forever!

In the cozy town of Gadebusch, a true project of the heart came into being 13 years ago with the Station Burgsee restaurant. Now the former gem, which was traditionally renovated in the style of 1897 on the edge of the city forest, has to close its doors forever. Entrepreneur Holger Hempel, who opened the restaurant in 2012, is planning to close it permanently, and the reasons are obvious: rising energy costs, a lack of skilled staff and high food prices are taking the breath away from small and medium-sized businesses. According to nordkurier.de, Hempel also attributes this step to politicians ignoring the warnings of the hotel and restaurant association Dehoga. More and more catering companies find themselves in a similar situation and fear for their survival.

The challenge that many companies have to overcome is not getting any easier. A look at the current figures shows that the hospitality industry is facing enormous problems. In the first half of 2024, hoteliers and restaurateurs had to accept a decline in sales of almost 11 percent compared to the previous year - profits even fell by a worrying 22 percent. These figures were published by t-online.de and confirm the bleak situation in the industry.

Skilled labor shortage is a major obstacle

So how can things continue? Hempel himself sees a light on the horizon: voucher holders should be offered the opportunity to redeem their vouchers before the closure. But the challenges are numerous. According to a study by IW Cologne, the skills gap in the hospitality industry has narrowed significantly, but the situation remains tense. In June 2024, there was a shortage of over 8,800 skilled workers in the hospitality industry, which is 45 percent fewer than in the previous year. But finding suitable employees remains problematic, especially for trained chefs and in catering services.

“The situation is precarious,” explain experts. Hoteliers and catering operators are often forced to fill their vacancies with unskilled workers, which can affect the quality of service. The industry association Dehoga is therefore urgently calling for incentives for foreign workers in order to make up for the staff shortage. This is also supported by the increasing use of technology, such as the rental of cooking robots. Although these cost over 10,000 euros, they only offer limited solutions and usually take on simple tasks. The human factor remains essential in the catering industry, as personal hospitality is highly valued, as tagesschau.de emphasizes.

A look into the future

The closure of the Station Burgsee restaurant reflects the fate of many restaurants. Hempel, who regularly greeted guests in his blue conductor's uniform, is already thinking about reusing the site - but without the catering industry, which is likely to be under further pressure in the future. Politicians must act now to reverse the worrying trends in the hospitality sector and help companies meet the challenges of the future. The restaurant's past, which revived the charm of the old Gadebusch train station, will not soon be forgotten.