Surviving the crisis
Krabbes fish restaurant
A best-practice case study from northern Germany: the family are getting involved with gusto, lowering prices and keeping quality high – diners love it and are making the journey to Germany's first fish drive in for fish burgers, curry and traditional German fare.
Chin up, keep going
Restaurant owner Pamela Krabbe has a lot on her plate and a lot on her mind in these unprecedented times. She has the same problem as all other food service businesses – diners are not allowed to eat in her restaurant. But sitting back and giving up is not an option for this plucky entrepreneur. She has had to make some tough decisions – including reducing the hours worked by six of her seven employees. Only the head chef is vital for the restaurant owner. But she is determined to keep a skeleton business running with the chef and her family.
Prices have been cut but quality has not
The restaurant is offering a takeaway service for customers to meet coronavirus restrictions. They are in the process of setting up a delivery service, too. To make that work, Mrs Krabbe's husband and son need to get on board. The menu has been radically shortened and prices dropped by up to 30%. In order to keep cost of goods sold to a minimum, the kitchen is using smoked fish instead of fresh. It keeps for longer and is more versatile. Customers can continue to expect the highest quality, though. That is important to Pamela.
Driving through and full speed onward into the future!
The kitchen window looking out onto the courtyard has been repurposed to serve as a drive-through window. It is an idea that has been used as a joke for a while – and now it is happening for real. A Plexiglass screen was quickly installed to protect staff and customers meaning that diners can now pick up their food while sitting in their car. A range of tasty dishes at their usual high quality means Krabbes restaurant can be open for its customers even with social distancing in place. For Pamela Krabbe, to keep going is important. She hopes to maintain good relationships and be able to get her six other members of staff back on board again as quickly as possible after the crisis.
‘The quality still has to be right.
Pamela Krabbe, owner of Krabbes restaurant, Neustadt in Holstein
Krabbes fish restaurant, Neustadt in Holstein
The takeaway menu offers a wide range of dishes with different menu items each week.
