The “Dilemma” is now history

The Dilemma meeting point only opened last March. The founding team looked back nostalgically at the last few months at the “Ustrinkete” last Thursday evening.

“You get to know people here because our room is so small that you can’t avoid each other,” says co-founder Severin Hofer at the “Ustrinkete” (farewell drink). The “Dilemma” on the Alpenstrasse, right next to the railway station in Zug, was a colourful community space whose furnishings resembled a hip living room in a big city.

The name was also the concept: a coffee cost either nothing or CHF 100. Those who took up the Dilemma’s offer paid CHF 100 for a monthly subscription. The diverse offerings in the “Dilemma” could then be enjoyed up to this amount during the month in question.

These offers ranged from the usual bar service to the opportunity to have your hair cut or get a tattoo, up to literature and art events. Once the CHF 100 was used up, it could be topped-up a CHF 25 a time. Any remaining balance went towards the operating costs of the “Dilemma” at the end of the month.

The number of subscriptions determined the opening times of the room. If 80 subscriptions were sold, the meeting point would be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and there would be an additional day if there were 90 subscriptions. “We started In March with 90 subscriptions sold,” says Laura Hürlimann, co-founder of “Dilemma” and managing director of the Gäggeligääl creative agency.

For how many people was this worth CHF 100?
According to Severin Hofer, many interesting memories were created in the few months that the restaurant was in operation. “There were a lot of amusing encounters and people were able to get to know each other, even though you think you already know everyone in Zug,” says the cultural worker.

“People also fell in love in here,” adds Laura Hürlimann. “There was a ‘temporary couple’ who met here.” “There were also countless interesting discussions about how much CHF 100 is actually worth,” says Severin Hofer.

The “Dilemma Team”, from left: Severin Hofer, Julian Wasem, Rafael Casaulta and Laura Hürlimann.
The rental agreement for the restaurant next to the railway station in Zug runs until March 2024.
Photos: Mathias Blattmann

The regular Dilemma-goers regret the closure of the colourful living room. A young artist reports: “Thanks to the Dilemma, I found access to other artists and was able to find a suitable studio.” Another Dilemma subscriber talks about the countless interesting discussions he was able to have at the meeting point.

Did it not really work?
“There were some people who kept coming and took out a subscription. Then there were also people who found our offer too expensive and didn’t want to commit,” says Laura Hürlimann. “We tried to establish a cheaper option, but it unfortunately didn’t bring us more people,” she adds.

During the summer break, the founding team realised that they had to either make a end of it or invest in another year. The additional investment represented too great a financial risk, which is why, with a heavy heart, the team decided to close the centre.

When asked why it didn't work, co-founder and creative director Rafael Casaulta answered with the counter question: "What didn't work?" In his opinion, there were many interesting encounters in this room, which shows how important such community spaces are.

The contract runs until March 2024
"We learned a lot. Everything in the room is done by ourselves, from the cash register system to the renovation of the interior,” he adds. The room was remodelled by Julian Wasem, spatial designer at “Gäggeligääl”. “Once again we tried something, and we will try it again. We are grateful for all the people who have walked this path with us and brought this space to life,” says co-founder Severin Hofer.

The contract for the room is valid until March 2024, and, until then, the founding team will fill it with various ideas. For example, the Fritto Misto pop-up will temporarily occupy the space from November until Christmas.