Passionate chef closes Meet&Eat” – health comes first!

Passionate chef closes Meet&Eat” – health comes first!

A passionate chef is breaking new ground: Sandro Gay has decided to close his restaurant “Meet&Eat” in Tuttlingen. This decision doesn't just happen, but is the result of a variety of challenges that have shaped the company in recent years. “Meet&Eat”, which Gay opened in 2018 and which is part of the “Stadt Tuttlingen” hotel, will only be open at the end of July 2023 for groups of 15 people or more upon request. The current situation no longer allows us to continue as usual, as schwaebische.de reports.

External circumstances, such as the corona pandemic, have had a noticeably negative impact on the number of guests. The restaurant was initially open five days a week, but due to declining visitor numbers, this was drastically reduced to just three days. In order to offset the financial losses, Gay tried to generate additional income with a hot dog food truck. But this also fell short of expectations. In addition, there was the lengthy renovation of the town hall footbridge in the area, which isolated the restaurant from traffic for around a year and a half. So these decisions cannot be viewed in isolation; they are the result of a complicated interplay of factors.

The burden on the chef

Sandro Gay is not only the head chef, but also the brains behind the hotel. He works seven days a week and juggles natural tasks at reception, in the kitchen and in accounting. However, the strain becomes too much for him. “I can’t stand it,” said the experienced restaurateur. The loss of two full-time employees makes the plight even more urgent. There are temporary workers, but they are not enough to maintain operations. For Gay, it is clear that the closure of the restaurant is the logical consequence of these circumstances.

In particular, the health challenges of his wife Katiuscia, who survived brain tumor surgery, played an important role in his decision. “Health and time for the family are the most important things,” says Gay, who also has two daughters.

Catering as a new focus

However, in the midst of this difficult situation, there are also bright spots. Gay has been offering catering for about a year now, which particularly includes finger food for business events. This is an approach that is well received and offers some hope for the future. However, À la carte with fixed opening times is no longer possible and the restaurant remains closed in this form.

Tuttlingen remains a city with a diverse gastronomic offering. According to tripadvisor.de, there are numerous restaurants in the region, ranging from steakhouses to Italian and Asian cuisines. The different restaurants are very diversified not only in terms of cuisine, but also in price range. This ensures that there is something for every taste, even if “Meet&Eat” will soon no longer be part of it.

Ultimately, it remains to be hoped that Sandro Gay will find the support he needs to continue running either his hotel or his catering offerings. He has definitely demonstrated a good knack for gastronomy, and perhaps the closure of “Meet&Eat” will also offer new opportunities for creative projects in the future.