Restaurateurs are finding it increasingly difficult these days. Well-known TV chef Steffen Henssler also felt this. As “Wirtschaftswoche” reports, bankruptcy applications have been filed with the Frankfurt District Court for several of its sushi restaurants.
Bad news for one of Germany’s most famous chefs: Steffen Henssler’s sushi restaurants are running out of money. The companies “GO by Steffen Henssler Delivery & Events GmbH”, “GO Sushi & Delivery Munich GmbH”, “GO Sushi & Delivery Frankfurt GmbH” and “S&M GO GmbH” are affected by the bankruptcy.
In November 2023, Henssler had to close two restaurants (“Happi by Henssler”) in Bremen. At the time, it was said that the Southeast Asian menu concept “turned out to be inappropriate.”
Henssler polarizes
The celebrity chef has made headlines repeatedly in the past. During the corona pandemic, Henssler demanded a flat-rate energy payment. The chef stated at the time on the website of his restaurant “Henssler & Henssler”: “We cook with gas and electricity, we heat with gas and use water. In order not to have to pass on the high and rising energy costs in our prices, we will charge an energy cost surcharge of 1.50 euros per guest from October 1, 2022.” The levy caused misunderstanding among many customers.
The chef told the Kleine Zeitung at the beginning of May: “I think it is a very difficult phase for everyone at the moment. Customers are becoming more demanding and employees are becoming more unproductive. This is definitely a topic that concerns us as well.” The lack of staff particularly worries him.
Lawyer is now investigating the options
Now parts of his restaurant empire are bankrupt. A provisional curator has already been appointed, Andreas Kleinschmidt. The lawyer said in ‘Wirtschaftswoche’ that he wanted to ‘get an overview and investigate the restructuring options’.
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.
