The manager of a bankrupt restaurant: “Owning a restaurant in Kaunas is a game for fraud and money laundering” | Business

Simone and I met in the quiet hall of the first floor of “Black Salt”. He admitted that this silence is confusing. Restaurants must be full of happy people, conversations, laughter, clinking dishes and drinking glasses.

Teodoros Biliūnas/BNS photo/Founder of “Black Salt” Simone Rotoli

At first, the Italian tried to transfer the business to other hands, but did not receive a suitable offer. As he asserted, “nobody wants to buy now, even for a handful of euros.”

“The whole old town of Kaunas is going bankrupt, every place is in the red. About 90 percent Kaunas restaurants are in the red. The old town is empty, emptier than it has ever been.

We are closing our doors after a 5-year fight against covid, street reconstruction, inflation, returned 21 percent. VAT rate. When you own a Fiat 500, if it breaks down, you can fix it with little effort. But if a huge, expensive car breaks down, you may not have everything you need to fix it. This is the case with Black Salt. Fixing a place like mine takes a lot of effort and financial sacrifice, and sometimes it’s impossible.

We will send you a bankruptcy letter. Let’s start the process. It’s better to have an honest and dignified bankruptcy than to continue pretending to be successful just because you have nothing to do,” Simone said frankly.

Game frostable

As the conversation progressed, the interlocutor admitted that he did not want to put his head in a debt loop, he wanted to have a place dear to his heart that would support itself. If this is not possible, it is better to finish on time and go do something else without regretting anything later.

About 90 percent Kaunas restaurants are in the red.

“I’m leaving with zero euros but millions of wonderful evenings and a lot of respect from a lot of important people.”

It is better to go out as an honest loser than to continue as a fake, pretending winner. My loved ones will respect me even if I only have 1 euro in my pocket to buy a sandwich. I don’t need to impress anyone. I leave “Black Salt” because owning a restaurant in Kaunas is a stupid game. This is a game for frostable and for money laundering,” snapped Simone.