Since September 16, the following applies in the pubs: Access only for vaccinated, tested or recovered guests. After almost a month, the conclusion from the restaurant scene is mild. The catering industry has been under constant fire since the outbreak of the pandemic. However, the new certificate requirement has so far not resulted in any massive losses. This is shown by an analysis of credit card payments over the past four weeks.
But now there are two more decisive factors for the stains: There have been no free tests since October 11, and the bad weather makes it increasingly uncomfortable for guests without a certificate on the terraces. Because they are not allowed to go into the warm room.
Only a slight decrease
The latest data on expenditure in restaurants across Switzerland, the so-called “Monitoring Consumption Switzerland”, looks mild. While the guests left 113.3 million francs in the restaurants in the week before the introduction of the certificate requirement, last week it was 101.7 million francs again. Although the expenditure recorded a slight decrease, the horror scenario from Gastrosuisse did not appear even after four weeks with a certificate requirement.
The industry association had warned of slumps of 30 to 50 percent – these did not arrive, as the figures show. Matthias Fengler (48), economics professor at the University of St. Gallen, told Blick two weeks ago: “It is still too early to speak of a recovery, but rather of a stabilization.” According to the professor, a lot depends on the season.
Pickling depends on the weather
While pickling in the cities is not showing any massive losses, the rural pickling is concerned. In recent months, Andreas Berger from the Landgasthaus Strauss in Meierkappel LU has shown that the weather has a great influence on guests. “If the weather was bad, fewer guests came to the restaurant,” reports the restaurateur to the “Gastro Journal”.
The restaurants deal differently with the certification requirement. But the decisive factor is: what happens if the corona tests are no longer free? Beizer Berger says: “Our concerns are mainly directed towards large celebrations such as Christmas dinners or company dinners. If the tests are no longer free, it may well be that a whole group cancels the visit even though the majority are vaccinated ».
Criticism of Gastro-Platzer
However, the beers on the corona policy of association president Casimir Platzer (59) find a clear tenor. «It’s seething in the association. Platzer was shot, ”said Renato Pedroncelli, President Gastro Schaffhausen to the“ observer ”. One is bothered by the fact that to a large extent he only expresses his own opinion. (knr)