Duke Faelt's prestigious eatery shuts down operations.
Berlin, a city known for its vibrant gastronomy scene, is currently grappling with a crisis that has left many restaurant owners fighting for the future of their businesses.
According to data from Visit Berlin, the city saw a five percent increase in visitors last year, with 12.7 million people coming to Berlin. However, this figure is still below the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, when 14 million people visited the city.
One of the most notable casualties of this crisis is Fält, a high-end restaurant in Schöneberg, which announced its closure in late November. Björn Swanson, the chef and restaurateur behind Fält, blamed the crisis on a combination of factors, including inflation in food and energy prices due to wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, rising labor costs due to the minimum wage and labor shortages, and customers staying away due to additional costs.
The German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) stated that the crisis is driving more and more Berlin establishments into insolvency, resulting in a "noticeable impoverishment of the gastronomic diversity in Berlin's neighborhoods." The number of insolvencies in the gastronomy sector in Berlin rose from 179 in 2023 to 221 last year.
Wealthy tourists or business travelers attending trade fairs have always been important for Berlin's high-end gastronomy, but this clientele is scarce. The Berlin Brandenburg Airport has fewer flight passengers than before the pandemic, which has further exacerbated the situation.
Björn Swanson, in a post on Fält's official Instagram account, criticized political lies and unfulfilled promises, citing political failures, broken promises, private crises, depression, and hopelessness as contributing factors to his decision to close after five years in November. He also mentioned challenges like the loss of guests due to travel inconveniences and the changing city atmosphere making Berlin feel less attractive.
Fält lost its Michelin Guide star in June of this year. The restaurant, which opened in October 2020, will close its doors in late November, leaving a gap in Berlin's high-end gastronomy scene.
As the city navigates these challenges, it remains to be seen how the gastronomy industry will recover and what changes will be made to ensure a more resilient future. In the meantime, users on Fält's official Instagram account express their sadness about the restaurant's closure, highlighting the emotional impact the crisis is having on Berlin's food lovers.
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