Chef files for bankruptcy

Toque-awarded restaurant unexpectedly slides into bankruptcy

In 2019, all was still well with the world for restaurateurs Julia and Martin Rittberger. Now they have to close the Gasthaus Post.(Bild: www.qupik.com)

After a great start in 2018 and the award of the 2023 Gault Millau toque, Gasthaus Post in Hellmonsödt (Upper Austria) slipped into insolvency. Liabilities of 175,000 euros compared to assets of 30,000 euros. The insolvency administrator will decide whether the restaurant will reopen after the two days of closure on Thursday.

Martin Rittberger had no reason to celebrate on his 42nd birthday. "After almost seven intensive and successful years, my wife Julia and I made the difficult decision last Friday, two days before my birthday, to close our restaurant as part of insolvency proceedings. It was a long and intense struggle, but now we have to draw a line under it with a heavy heart. However, we can be certain that we have tried everything," says the boss of Gasthof Post in Hellmonsödt.

Corona changed everything
The duo took over the restaurant in 2018. The combination of a traditional inn on the market square and an upscale restaurant seemed to work. "We were doing really well. Then came corona. But the pandemic wasn't the problem: it was what came afterwards," says Rittberger.

A strain on health
The past few years have been very challenging for the catering industry. "Rising costs, collective agreement adjustments and the general decline in the willingness to work weekends have made it increasingly difficult to run our business economically. Despite considerable investments and tireless efforts, we now have to realize that the burden has become too great for us economically, but also personally - in terms of health and family life," says Rittberger.

He is annoyed by the portrayal of the industry as a driver of inflation. "This has made business increasingly difficult. We are dependent on suppliers, rising wages, rents and energy costs." 

Rumors about a new project
It is still unclear what will happen next. "Our focus now is on getting everything sorted and letting the whole situation sink in." Whether there will be a future in gastronomy or the time has come for a new direction is also still up in the air. Rittberger denies the rumors about a takeover of a restaurant in the region: "There are no talks with neighboring pubs where we could be potential successors. The decision to close the Post was taken at very short notice."

Continuation is being examined
Today, Monday, the restaurant is still open. Tomorrow and Wednesday are closing days. And after that? According to the insolvency application, the closure and liquidation of the business is planned. "The appointed insolvency administrator will examine whether a temporary continuation is economically advantageous for the creditors," says Petra Wögerbauer from KSV1870, which is representing the creditors here.