A well-known Italian restaurant in Vienna goes bankrupt for millions

Italian-American concept fails because of reality

The promise of the “Italian Grill” sounded promising: “Fine bites from the iconic Cicchetti display case or a juicy steak,” the restaurant advertised on its homepage. The culinary offerings ranged from the legendary Cioppino – a fish and seafood stew invented by Italian immigrants in San Francisco – to the classic carbonara. “Made fresh every day and served like nonna” was the credo.

The bar also relied on sophistication: an Averna Sour in an ice-cold glass with a frozen ice ball and a splash of Sorrento lemon juice was intended to give the feeling that “the bartender had just poured the Sicilian sun into the glass.” For guests in a hurry, there was a mini Alimentari store with Italian delicacies to take away.

Evening catering in crisis

But the complex concept could not compensate for the economic challenges. According to the company’s own application, profound structural changes in consumption and going out behavior led to insolvency. Evening catering in particular is experiencing a significant decline in demand, according to the management. The difficult economic conditions had an aggravating effect.

1.32 million euros in liabilities

The liabilities add up to around 1.32 million euros, distributed among 23 creditors. The court appointed lawyer Helmut Platzgummer as insolvency administrator.

No continuation

There are no plans to renovate or continue operations. Due to a lack of economic prospects, the restaurant is closed.

Part of a wave of bankruptcies

The bankruptcy of the Gastrodogs Gastronomy Development and Operations GmbH is one of a series of restaurant bankruptcies in the federal capital. The industry has been struggling for months with rising costs, a shortage of staff and changing guest behavior – a structural change that does not allow even ambitious concepts like the “Taverna” to survive.