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Apprentices at the “Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern” are allowed to run a restaurant independently. Also a first for the hotel.
It usually works like this: The apprentices work in the company and do things the way their bosses or supervisors want. In the Villa Schweizerhof restaurant in the city of Lucerne, things are different for two weeks: Here the apprentices decide for themselves how they want to run the business. The next two weeks will show whether it works as they imagined.
take responsibility
The restaurant with 13 Gault-Millau points is part of the Hotel Schweizerhof. For the traditional hotel with its over 150-year history, the takeover by the apprentices is a first: they are excited, but they trust the apprentices completely, according to the management.
Legend:
Final arrangements before the guests arrive: menus and drinks on offer, all put together by the learners themselves.
SRF/Primus Ettlin
“We want to offer the almost 30 apprentices an opportunity to take on responsibility,” says hotel director Roman Omlin. This would enable you to independently implement what you have learned from theory and practice and make decisions.
I believe in them and trust them completely.
In the event that operations get out of hand and major problems arise, a team is available in the background as a backup. “However, I don’t think there is any need to intervene,” says Roman Omlin and adds: “I believe in the learners and trust them completely.”
Legend:
Apprentices from four professions work together to take over the restaurant.
SRF/Primus Ettlin
The learners put together the menus and the range of drinks themselves, including drinks they created themselves. “It’s a really cool opportunity that we’re offered here,” says Anna Eichenberger. She is in her third year of training as a restoration specialist. “Who can claim to have run a business during their apprenticeship?” she says with a smile.
I wasn’t even aware of a lot of the work because the boss was doing it.
It is a challenge to see all the work and get it done on time, says Mael Stillhart. He is an aspiring chef and is in his third year of training. “Many of the work steps that we now do were previously done by someone else or the head chef.”