Stefan Engertsberger draws a line in the sand. Since 2008, the Schardenberg restaurateur has been running the small but fine “Wirt z’Moarhof” together with his wife Alexandra. Now Engertsberger recently announced on Facebook that he would be closing his business – for health reasons, as the innkeeper explained in the OÖN interview. “I’ve suffered from a visual impairment since birth, which makes my life very difficult at times. I’m now 53 years old. That’s why I decided to take my foot off the accelerator and slow down a bit as a preventive measure.” A 70 to 80 hour week is not uncommon for him, says Engertsberger. “But that is no longer compatible with my decision. Health comes first.” Hiring additional staff and staying in the restaurant even with fewer hours would not be profitable for his business.
more on the subject
“Schnitzel duel”: Hofer is ahead at Innviertler Wirt
Election for Norbert Hofer
After 16 years in the business, despite all the challenges, the positive things outweigh the negatives, says the innkeeper, who became known throughout Austria almost eight years ago. The country elected a new Federal President; there was a runoff between Norbert Hofer (FP) and Alexander van der Bellen (Greens). Engertsberger – who sat for the FPÖ on the Schardenberg local council for more than 20 years – campaigned aggressively for Hofer and even advertised the FP candidate on his receipts. That’s not all: just a short time later, the restaurateur offered two schnitzel variants on his menu, a “Hofer Schnitzel” and a “van der Bellen Schnitzel”. The campaign caused a lot of waves, especially on social media, but the “gag” (Engertsberger quote) did not only provoke positive reactions. “Social media has its advantages and disadvantages. At the time, many people thought that an innkeeper was not allowed to represent a political opinion. I still see things differently today,” says Engertsberger, who still uses his Facebook page with more than 3,000 followers for purposes uses.
Image: private
The Schardenberg innkeeper will still “go through with” his annual program for 2024, and it will end at the end of November. After that, Engertsberger sees his remaining professional future in the catering industry. “I’ve been in the industry all my life and have gained a lot of experience. I still enjoy the work. I’m not worried regarding finding a job as a trained chef in this day and age.”
Author
Valentin Berghammer
Innviertel editorial team
Valentin Berghammer
