Art and cuisine from seven continents

The event restaurant ‘The Circle’ will open its doors for the first time on 13 April. In addition to the restaurant and a lounge, it also plans set to stand out with events, the dining concept and its own art gallery.

Bahnhofstrasse 19 in Zug is currently a hive of activity, as final preparations are being made for the opening of ‘The Circle’ restaurant and event venue. Manager and Head Chef Oliver Punz is putting the finishing touches to the interior work and is already looking forward to completion. "A lot of thought has gone into every area of the restaurant," explains the trained chef.

On entering the restaurant, the first thing that catches the eye is the beautifully decorated lounge and dining tables, which are located both indoors and outdoors. "We want to establish ourselves as a social and cultural meeting place. A cosy lounge ambience is central to this. In this way, we can also reach employees in the neighbouring office buildings," he explains . According to him, there will be public viewings of European Championship matches and barbecue events in the outdoor area during the summer. “We want to be seen by everyone”, he says.

This is followed by the bar, which already gives a first impression of the high-quality inventory. "We attach great importance to sustainability in our production. Our appliances are energy-efficient and leftovers are recycled," explains Oliver Punz. The "charity beer" on offer is representative of the operating values. The majority of the proceeds from the "charity beer" go to charitable causes.

Art inside and outside the gallery
From the staircase to the basement, you can look down on the restaurant's planned gallery. New works by various artists will be exhibited there every month. According to  Oliver Punz, this is part of the concept: "We want to stimulate all of our customers' senses through culture and culinary delights. That's why, in addition to exhibitions, we are also planning our own menus and live events with the artists."

The menus are created together with the artists - always based on their origins and their favourite flavours. In return for the cooperation, the artists can exhibit their works free of charge. The first wave of artworks will be based on the "Pop Art" art movement, and will present works by the two Swiss artists Jordi and Simone Dehmelt. The focus and genres will vary.

The new event venue The Circle is opening on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zug. Manager Oliver Punz (centre) and employees Roberta Angelini and Jakub Hojny look forward to the opening.
Manager Oliver Punz believes that, in addition to the normal business, it is important to offer a cultural programme for customers at "The Circle"     
The menu designed by Oliver Punz and his staff introduces diners to specialities from all seven continents.
Photos: Matthias Jurt

The large dining room and the show kitchen are also located in the basement. Diners will not only be able to see the work of the kitchen team there, but also other works by current exhibitors. "Most of our planned events, such as band performances, will take place here. It will also be possible to hire the restaurant area with all the trimmings for your own events," says manager Oliver Punz.

Specialities from seven continents
In culinary terms, the team at "The Circle" has come up with a unique concept. The menu is made up of a total of seven menus, with each menu being based on a continent and its local cuisine. "We want to focus strongly on variety and diversity, which can also be seen in our dishes," explains Oliver Punz. The seven menus will be changed regularly, with the help of customer feedback. The menu also comes with an interesting twist, which Oliver Punz and his team do not want to anticipate.

He is thereby confident that "The Circle" will gain a good foothold at this location. "Zug stands out from the rest of Switzerland through its many nationalities and cultures. We want to respond to the various requests and welcome everyone into our circle," adds Oliver Punz. He is also positive about the harmonious coexistence with the other businesses on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zug: "If a business on the Bahnhofstrasse is successful and brings people here, we will all benefit from it."

The first major events are already being advertised on "The Circle" website, such as the "Family & Friends Opening" on 6 April and the grand opening on 13 April. "We're looking forward to making our customers happy and introducing them to our ideas and concepts," says Oliver Punz, expectantly.