Future of the traditional café Schubert: Hope for reopening!

Future of the traditional café Schubert: Hope for reopening!

Today, on April 25, 2025, the traditional café Schubert is in Saarbrücken-St. Johann before an uncertain future. Two years after the bankruptcy of Otto Schubert & Sohn GmbH, the clarification of the further use of the buildings in Schwarzenbergstrasse and Sulzbachstrasse remains decisive. The "for sale" signs attached to the windows were removed, which signals a positive turn. The real estate company Hansen and Blum is responsible for this measure, which also ensured that the pink writings that announce that the Café Schubert is open are visible again. Despite these signs of hope, the café has still not been reopened since the closure two years ago and the confusion of the local -unktian remains.

The Café Schubert, as one of the most famous Restaurants in Saarbrücken, came into financial difficulties, which not only resulted in closure, but also endangered the fate of over 30 jobs. In a few weeks, so informed Headtopics.com , there is a decision on the possible rescue of the café. At the former locations, clues were attached that indicate upcoming renovations and indicate a return of the café to the catering scene of Saarbrücken.

Overview of the catering situation

The economic situation not only affected the Schubert Café. The information service provider CRIF reports on a tense situation in the German catering industry. The forecasts for 2024 indicate a significant increase in bankruptcies, with an expected 1,190 cases, an increase of over 30 percent compared to the previous year. In 2023 alone, the number of bankruptcies in this industry rose by 35 percent to 906, compared to 670 in 2022.

The causes of this increase are diverse. High inflation, the increase in VAT on food and the trend towards home office significantly burden many restaurants. The lunch business in particular suffers from the changed work habits and leads to significant loss of income. According to CRIF, there is a division in the industry: popular restaurants can pass on increased costs to guests, while others have to fight for their survival.

catering businesses, which were already in difficulty before pandemic, often show reluctance to implement price increases, which further exacerbates. Between 2020 and 2022, a decline of around 20,000 catering companies was recorded, with 2,280 official bankruptcies. It is also striking the insolvency risk, which, according to CRIF, increased to 11.7 percent in June 2024, while 13,852 companies were classified as insolvency at risk. The main problem remains the many silent business tasks, which are usually in ratio of around 10 to 1 to officially registered bankruptcies.

The future of Café Schubert could not only be of crucial importance for those directly affected, but also for the local catering scene. In the coming weeks it will be shown whether positive messages will come true and the traditional café will receive a second chance to continue its tradition.