Restaurant on the Suurstoffi site to close

The Creabeck bakery, with branches in Sins and Hünenberg-See, has also operated a daytime restaurant in the fashionable Ennetsee district for the past five years. Due to Corona, the lease is not being renewed.

The Creabeck restaurant in the Suurstoffi in Rotkreuz was successfully managed In its first four years of operation. "We sold about 200 lunch menus a day," says co-owner Roman Fähndrich, who, together with his sister Nadine Paa-Fähndrich, runs the restaurant there, as well as the two bakeries in Hünenberg-See and Sins. The restaurant business generated such a high turnover through the daytime business alone that no evening restaurant service was offered. The guests mainly came from surrounding district. "They were mainly businessmen and students at the university." There was fewer walk-in customers due to the relatively isolated location.

Then came Corona. "Our sales crashed drastically," says Fähndrich. Not only the closure of the restaurant during the two lockdowns was responsible for this, but also the effect of  home office working and home schooling. "Even when we were allowed to re-open, there was hardly anyone there anymore." Because of the isolated location, switching to a takeaway operation also didn’t promise any success "That's why we decided not to renew the lease after five years."

People have to eat anyway
The manager is satisfied with the turnover of the two bakeries. "While we do have a slight decline because of Corona, this is less dramatic than it has been in other sectors. People still have to eat, despite everything." In addition, people seem to prefer visiting smaller shops and tend to avoid the large centres. "We have also found that the frustrating situation has increasingly encouraged customers to treat themselves to a fine cake in between, in order to sweeten their days." Sales did not fall significantly during the holidays either.

The Creabeck restaurant on the Suurstoffi site in Rotkreuz will not re-open after the lockdown.
Photo: Stefan Kaiser (06 March 2021)

Baked goods were only sold in very small amounts In the restaurant in Rotkreuz. "There was a corner with small biscuits, but it wasn't really a revenue driver," explains Roman Fähndrich. Because no restart is planned with a restaurant at another location, the current five employees have had to be given their notice. "Unfortunately, we are not able to offer them employment in the two bakery establishments in Sins and Hünenberg-See," laments Fähndrich. He would be interested in a good restaurant in a good location, but that doesn't have to be immediately. "There are always possibilities, and most of them are usually offered to us."

A successor company is being sought
The owner of the restaurant premises is Zug Estates AG. "We think it's a pity that the "Creabeck" is leaving the Suurstoffi site. On the other hand, however, a change always offer an opportunity for something new," says media spokesman Philipp Hodel. "The process of finding a successor tenant is underway," he said. It is not yet clear how the area will be used in the future. "We are not aiming for a one-to-one replacement of the "Creabeck" and are open to different ideas and concepts." There is already a fairly wide range of gastronomy on the grounds of the Suurstoffi in Rotreuz. "There is the "Hello World" and the canteen of the university, which opened last year. In addition, the Restaurant Saporis will open in just under two months."