I didn't think we'd win the contract

Nadja Müller and Roger Eggermann had actually intended to eat somewhere else – but after a chance visit, they are now running the Rosengarten restaurant in Lindencham.
 

When the new tenant, Nadja Müller, first entered the "Rosengarten" restaurant  in Lindencham, she felt like she had stepped back in time: "I felt transported back to my childhood," she says. Her godmother once ran the Restaurant Pilatus in Lucerne. "With Stephanie, I immediately felt as comfortable as I did back then. Her warmth touched me right away," she says, praising her predecessor, Stephanie Köpfli, who recently held a farewell party after five years as the proprietor.

Nadja Müller already runs the "Gotthärdli" in Zug and, together with her business and life partner Roger Eggermann, the "Siam Garden" in Rotkreuz – two Thai restaurants in total. The "Rosengarten," whose focus on traditional Swiss cuisine is mandated by the owner, the municipality of Cham, stands out from the rest.

She says that the owners were initially sceptical. "To be honest, I didn't think we'd get the contract," she says. When the decision was unexpectedly positive, she burst into tears. "I was so excited about this restaurant that I felt truly relieved," says the mother of three from Gisikon. This news perfectly complemented her current celebratory mood: She is also celebrating her 20th anniversary at the "Gotthärdli" (see below).

The owners were initially sceptical. The new proprietors, Nadja Müller (red blouse) and Roger Eggermann (next to her), with hostess Sonia Brito and chef Benno Jud at the «Rosengarten».
The restaurant at Sinserstrasse 100 has been operating since 1886.
The dining room was renovated five years ago.
The bowling alley is located in a separate building.            Photos: Dominik Wunderli
 

The soup won them over
It was pure chance that Nadja Müller and Roger Eggermann ended up at the «Rosengarten» that spring day. They had actually planned to eat at a different restaurant. "When we saw the many parking spaces, we spontaneously stopped and went in," explains Roger Eggermann, continuing, "After we’d tasted the soup, we were blown away – this is real cooking, and therefore exactly to our taste."

Benno Jud, who is also a cookbook author, will continue to cook at the “Rosengarten”, and, with one exception, the other staff members will also remain. Sonia Brito is the new hostess. Nadja Müller also plans to be frequently present, especially since she enjoys working alongside the team, both to be close to the staff and the guests, and to have a balance to her administrative tasks.

She is responsible for payroll and human resources. Roger Eggermann, who previously worked at the "Loft" in Lucerne, among other places, takes care of technical matters, the advertising, and the interior design of the restaurants. He has little to do in this regard at the "Rosengarten": The building, which has been operating as a restaurant since 1886, was renovated just five years ago.

Nadja Müller worked in Lindencham twice to learn the ropes and get a feel for the business. She was impressed by the efficiency at lunchtime – a hallmark of the popular working-class guest house. She also appreciates the affordable set menus, which include soup and salad. She says they won't be changing that. She also intends to stick to Benno Jud's classic dishes and complement them with seasonal specialties.

Is it to be a seven-day week?
Furthermore, the opening hours will remain unchanged for the time being. This means that the restaurant will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays. "We want to find out what our guests need by talking to them; perhaps there's potential for a seven-day week," says Roger Eggermann.

He also wants to use this approach to determine how to boost evening business. Due to its location, the "Rosengarten" isn't a place for walk-in customers. But this doesn't worry him or Nadja Müller: "Even in Rotkreuz, people said we could forget about evening business. But now it's almost better than lunchtime," says the restaurateur.

One draw for evening visits is the bowling alley, which is located in a separate building. It's just one more reason why Nadja Müller and Roger Eggermann fell in love with the "Rosengarten." “Nadja’s father was in a bowling club, and my grandfather was also a passionate bowler,” explains Eggermann, adding, “It’s almost uncanny how well the restaurant suits us—or we suit it.”

Note:
The “Rosengarten” re-opens on the 3rd August under new management. All guests on that day will receive a welcome drink.
The “Gotthärdli” will be celebrating its 20th anniversary from the 18th to the 20th September.