Landlord calls for boycott

Rip-off! Former elite soldier lashes out at restaurant scene

Landlord Tom Waibel: His impassioned speech went viral on social media.(Bild: Peter Freiberger, privat)

A large beer for over seven euros, cold drinks for almost six euros, or a bread roll with lard for a hefty 14.50: prices like these at mountain huts in Tyrol's Tannheimer Valley have driven restaurateur Tom Waibel up the wall. His anger was vented in a post on social media. The "Krone" newspaper met with the former elite soldier, who was also stationed in Afghanistan.

The Fischerhütte Tannheim, owned by the Allgäu native, is closed during the cold season. The 41-year-old used this time to take a close look at the prices charged by various mountain huts in the region, including the neighboring German Allgäu. In doing so, he discovered a few "black sheep," as he calls them. In his opinion, they are solely focused on maximizing profits. 

"Maximum squeezing" of guests
As the former sergeant in the German Armed Forces emphasized in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper, the last straw was the menu of a Tyrolean alpine hut that a friend had sent him. "There, a bread roll with lard costs $17. A yeast dumpling is available for more than $17." And many other prices gave him the impression that they had been "concocted in a crystal ball." Much of it was not calculated seriously and fairly, but simply to "squeeze guests dry."

Quality, yes. Regional, yes. Fairly calculated, yes. But rip-off? No, thank you!

Tom Waibel, Wirt der Fischerhütte Tannheim

Bild: Privat

After reading the menu, the eloquent restaurateur could no longer hold back. It sparked an emotional video post on social media, which has gone viral with almost 600,000 views to date. In it, he calls for such "rip-off merchants" in the industry to be boycotted in no uncertain terms. "Quality, yes. Regional, yes. Fairly priced, yes. But rip-offs? No, thank you!" The result was around 20,000 likes and more than 1,000 comments. The vast majority of posters agreed with Waibel's criticism.

Landlord Tom Waibel: His impassioned speech went viral on social media.(Bild: Peter Freiberger, privat)

"Trust is being lost"
Of course, some restaurateurs see Waibel as a "nest-fouler" after his post. "I only highlighted a few black sheep," he counters.

Restaurateurs who focus solely on maximizing profits would harm the industry as a whole and ultimately the entire region. "Guests stay away, trust is lost," Waibel fears. This has been proven in numerous studies.

How can I justify charging €5.90 for a Skiwasser? It's a syrup mixed with water and very popular with children in particular.

Tom Waibel

He has a different approach. "When a group of men stops by and I manage – through a nice atmosphere and fair prices – to get them to consume not just one beer but several, and also eat something, then at the end of the day everyone benefits," he explains, adding: "I'm not talking about cheap prices, but fair ones!"

A little syrup with water for almost six euros
In his fisherman's hut, he charges 4.50 euros for a large beer and the same price for a large wheat beer. Cold drinks such as a large apple juice spritzer cost 3.50 euros, and a Skiwasser costs three euros. "How can I justify charging 5.90 euros for a Skiwasser?" he asks. "It's syrup with water and a drink that's very popular with children."

Tom Waibel in his element(Bild: privat)

And a cheese sandwich for over 13 euros
The colleague who sees Waibel as a nest-fouler who doesn't know the structures sells a cheese sandwich for €13.20. Waibel counters: "If this cheese sandwich now costs somewhere around €9.50, no one on the planet would say anything. Even ten euros would be fine if it were a regional mountain cheese.  A whole cheese sandwich costs 14 euros at my place, I think – with four slices of bread. So am I the idiot or is he the smart one?" In any case, Waibel knows that he will definitely "get away with" his calculation.

The 41-year-old does not see himself as a "Samaritan," of course. "Of course I want to earn money," he emphasizes. But he takes a different approach to doing so. "I think about how I can get more people to come to me, recommend me to others, and come back again. If I succeed in doing that, then I've won."

"Then they'll have to find other work in winter."
And he doesn't accept the objection that a hut owner has to earn enough in summer to get through the winter financially. "When my hut is closed in winter, I just have to do something else during that time," he laughs.

No sooner said than done: during the cold season, Tom earns his living as a ski patroller at Füssener Jöchl in Grän. In April, he'll be back at the Fischerhütte.