Zug old town, 16.11.2022

The rumour mill could soon be bubbling in the new Restaurant zur Meise

With the new Restaurant zur Meise, initiator Albert Rüttimann wants to breathe new life into the old town of Zug. The ‘Musig-Stube zur Meise’ is open to all events that bring people together, while a bistro provides culinary delights.

People passing by the cobbled street of the Unter Altstadt on Friday morning stopped in amazement or delight. There, opposite house number 16, stood or sat men and women in colourful clothes. They stood out not only through their orange trousers, but especially attracted the attention of passers-by with their music. And it didn't take long before people started tapping their feet, and a mother and her child started dancing in circles.

The ‘Werkhof Süd’ band weren’t just playing in Zug's old town for fun. They had been engaged by Albert Rüttimann, himself an enthusiastic musician, lawyer and, above all, networker. Because Albert Rüttimann wants to bring the people of Zug together in the old town through his new restaurant, which officially opened last Friday.

The ‘Musig-Stube zur Meise’ (tomtit music parlour) is intended to offer space for this. The ground floor of the building stood empty for a long time, unused and completely without life. Albert Rüttimann, who lives and works in the same building, thought that this was not right. And the City of Zug administration also wants to revitalise the old town again. And Rüttimann's idea of turning the vacant premises into a music room with a bistro came at just the right time.

Local people can also come and cook
Albert Rüttimann invested his own money and received subsidies from the city of Zug to expand the ground floor of Unter Altstadt 16. In addition to the installation of a toilet and a rehearsal room in the basement, the main room and a spacious kitchen were created on the ground floor, where, in the future, a lunch menu and appetisers for the rest of the day will be prepared four times a week. Volunteer amateur and professional chefs take on this task, but people from the local population are also cordially invited to conjure up their menus there. One should "simply report" for this. Quite uncomplicated.

This simplicity is also reflected in Albert Rüttimann's words of welcome. The Meise is open to all kinds of ideas, offers space for band rehearsals (whereby the music genre is completely irrelevant), for concerts, lectures, podiums, film screenings and much more.

"The restaurant is available for everything that brings people together."

Including private events.

They work for the Meise free of charge (from left): Willy Bohny (chef), Sepp Feierabend (confectioner) and Roli Wismer (chef), together with the initiator Albert Rüttimann.
The Werkhof Süd band provides the soundtrack for the opening event.
The new Musig-Stube zur Meise: here the room in the basement, which is ideal for rehearsals, for example.                           
Photos: Matthias Jurt

There is only one restriction, which is not down to Rüttimann, however, but to the way many old houses are built: the available space. There can only be a maximum of 15 people in the main room when the tables have been set up. If you also include the kitchen, there is enough space for a maximum of 24 people. There’s room for a few more on Friday mornings, due to the lack of tables and chairs. And people can also sit outside in front of the Meise in the warmer months.

After the words of welcome from Albert Rüttimann, the numerous guests stand together, sipping their glasses, and enjoy the appetizers offered by volunteer service staff. A friend of Albert Rüttimann is also present, telling how he has travelled from Lucerne especially for the opening. "Albert is a fascinating personality, especially when it comes to bringing people together," he says. This is Rüttimann's great passion, as can also be seen in his words about the future of the Meise: "People are also allowed to 'gschnädderet' (gossip) here," he says. The Zug rumour mill could quietly sizzle in the new restaurant.

He's initially paying for everything himself
The new restaurant is not seen as a competitor to, for example, the nearby Fischerstube – whose boss is present at the opening event – but much more as a supplement to the already existing offer. The opening hours are during the day, so you could, for example, stop by in the afternoon and move on to the Fischerstube when it closes.

Albert Rüttimann will initially finance the restaurant himself. It's easier that way, especially at the beginning. Other financing models could then be considered once the whole thing gets rolling. Rüttimann is aware that this could take a while: "It usually takes one or two years for something like this to become established." His great wish, however, is that one day it will be said in the vernacular of Zug:

"Come on, let's go ’eis go schnappe' in the Meise."

The Musig-Stube zur Meise is open from Wednesday to Saturday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Further information can be found here.