New restaurateur in Kassel: Old Guard receives Italian flair!

New restaurateur in Kassel: Old Guard receives Italian flair!

The catering scene in Kassel is faced with a change: The café restaurant "Alte Wache" at the Bergpark will be leased again at the turn of 2025/2026. The new operator, Dennis Küpke, a 41-year-old restaurateur from Kassel, will take over and plan to maintain the Italian note of the restaurant while he will set new accents. The previous owner, the Carciola family, did not extend their lease, which resulted in a tender by Hesse Kassel Heritage, which received numerous applications. Küpke was able to prevail in this selection process and is now given the opportunity to implement his vision for the restaurant. HNA reports about these news.

The new operator is already taking care of the necessary preparation. Küpke has been running a day bar café in the city center since 2020 and offers Mediterranean caterings. His Italian roots-a father comes from Sicily-are largely incorporated into the planned menu, which includes a high-quality, creative breakfast menu and authentic, modern dishes in a trattoria style. At the same time, Küpke wants to continue to open the restaurant for wedding celebrations as well as family and company festivals.

new concept and team

In order to ensure the quality of the dishes and the service, Küpke plans to set up a completely new team of employees. The kitchen is fully occupied Italian to secure the authenticity of the dishes. In addition, there will be a new interior design concept for the café restaurant to create an inviting ambience. The reopening is aimed for in April 2026, which indicates extensive redesign and planning.

Kassel also experiences another gastronomic new beginning: In October 2023, the Vapiano restaurant will be reopened on the new journey/corner of Opernstrasse. The previous restaurant had been closed since August 2022 after the operating company registered bankruptcy. The new Hildesheimer VAP Germany GmbH will run the restaurant on its own. The innovations include a digital order system that enables guests to conveniently order food and drinks at the square or at a terminal. hna provides further insights into this concept.

The new Vapiano will not only convince with a modern menu - including pasta, salads and risotto - but also with an appealing optical design. Natural materials as well as an open kitchen and generous seating should contribute to a pleasant gastronomy experience.

The developments in the Kassel catering scene clearly show that new ideas and concepts have to meet the trends of the time. While the "old guard" looks against a change in the leadership, Vapiano is established with an innovative approach on the market. The anticipation for both new openings is already noticeable.