Trouble in the restaurant trade

Late checks leave St. Pölten landlords seething

During the important Christmas period of all times, the safety of St. Pölten's restaurants was scrutinized by the authorities in the evening. This also meant: lights out! 

Friday evening meals at many restaurants in St. Pölten involuntarily turned into "dinner in the dark". Because at this time of day in the middle of Advent, when sales are so high, magistrates, firefighters and police officers suddenly appeared unannounced in many restaurants. Among other things, they demanded that the lights be turned off. The main focus was on the emergency exits and emergency lighting. The conclusion right away: there were only minor problems that could be rectified immediately.

Safety and such checks are of course important. But the visit at such a busy time was really tough for us.

The landlords' delight at the "visit" is very limited. "At a time like this, it's the most unpleasant thing that can happen to us," says a pub owner at the Krone. The visit from the authorities caused quite a stir, and not just because of the sudden darkness. There were also some heated discussions and even threats of closure.

"Never said anything as regulars"
Too little consideration was given to the guests, the restaurateurs criticize, but at the same time another point also annoys them: "There were regulars who never criticized anything. Suddenly they're on the other side and have something to complain about," says one business owner angrily. The Figl restaurant run by St. Pölten landlord Matthias Strunz was also inspected: "It could have been done in January. Many colleagues didn't understand that."

"Added value for landlords and customers"
The town hall says that such random checks are standard measures and tasks of the authorities. It would only make sense during ongoing operations. "Nobody wants tragedies because of blocked emergency exits," they say. The disruption to operations was only brief and limited to the essentials. "The result was good, so that the pubs and customers also benefit," they emphasize.