“Vegans, hippies, ecos and Arabs are excluded.” With this post on Instagram, a presenter from Carinthia caused a real scandal. From January 19, the doors will only be open to “regular and local customers”. The reason: he is tired of decades of catering and is no longer in the mood for discussions with guests. SOS Mitmensch has now filed a complaint against the local owner.
“We would like to inform you all that our restaurant will be closed on January 16, 2023 and will reopen on January 19, 2023 with six tables for our regular guests and local guests. Vegans, hippies, ecos and Arabs are excluded.”
Also in the international headlines
The team at Peppino restaurant in Millstatt kicked off the new year with this Instagram post. And this is now even making international headlines. Media from Germany and Switzerland report on the restaurant. The ORF came by recently. In addition to sushi, lobster and pizza, the restaurant also offers fine wines.
Incidents with Arab groups
Stefan Lercher, owner of the restaurant, denies to the ORF that he is not a racist. But there have always been problems in the past with these groups mentioned, especially with Arabs who misbehave. “They put children with dirty shoes on the tables. We asked them to give them up, then one of them said he could buy the whole house if he wanted to. That doesn’t suit me.” In the future, if an Arab family comes to his restaurant, he will say that it is full.
Lercher also wanted to express his frustration with life as a restaurateur, exhausting guests, too much work with too few staff. He has been enriching the gastronomic life in the market town of Millstatt (district of Spittal) for ten years and has received numerous tourists during that time. And all too often they would have added something to him and his team. The restaurant used to have room for 250 guests, but the landlord now wants to reduce the capacity of the restaurant.
Innkeeper spokesman: “There is no right to a table in a restaurant”
Stefan Sternad, spokesman for the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce, takes a calm view of the matter. “If an innkeeper says it’s full, then it’s full. Then the matter is closed. There is no right to a table in an inn,” he told ORF.
SOS Mitmensch has filed a complaint against the local owner
“I have filed a complaint against the restaurateur with the responsible district authority for racial discrimination based on ethnic origin,” Alexander Pollak, spokesperson for SOS Mitmensch, wrote on Twitter on Thursday. The Equal Treatment Ombudsman informed him that her hands were tied without complaint. “That’s why I immediately filed a report,” said Pollak.
Armin Wolf also makes himself heard
“ZiB 2” moderator Armin Wolf is also angry with the local owner.
“There are seriously people who compare serving ‘no Arabs’ in a bar to blocking aggro trolls on Twitter. Pro Tip: You can choose to act like an aggro troll. You don’t choose your ethnic background.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
