Plans for Linz’s gastronomic empire are crumbling

by Anna Fessler and Marlis Schlatte

The Promenadenhof deal between Kaufmann and the Seeber couple fell through in October 2023 – according to the Seebers, because Kaufmann failed to show up to sign the contract three times and was unavailable for weeks. The takeover of the “Spielplatz” club, which is now called “Cube”, worked. There is no regular club operations, but there are regular events. The restaurant was actually planned as an extension of the Cubus’ event program, which, however, appeared in August 2024 with a new tenant as “Jenner’s Bar and Restaurant”.

Market butcher: Booth is empty

The market butcher’s booth at Südbahnhofmarkt is closed. The collaboration between Kaufmann and the Mühlviertel master butcher Josef Fischelmaier only lasted a month, then it was closed for a few weeks before Kaufmann brought TikTok “Crazy Butcher” Denis Dobric from Vienna. On the phone, Dobric tells Tips that he drew the line after the businessman felt guilty and the suppliers stopped paying. Josef Fischelmaier doesn’t want to say anything on the subject.

Guessing about Beenie all day and Gasthaus Lindbauer

The closure of the Beenie all day café is said to have similar reasons. As tips come from a reliable source, the employees should no longer be paid. No reservations are possible on the website in October, and for a few days now there has been a mention of a company vacation: “We’ll be back soon, well rested.” There is talk of a new team on the associated Facebook page, the comment function under the post is deactivated.

As is well known, the reopening of the Lindbauer Inn has been postponed several times and there is currently no planned date. Information on this is not easy to get – KaBB Gastro currently no longer has a press spokesman, and the two co-managing directors Alexander Vogel and Julian Eigl are no longer there. The Kaufmann Group website is offline; the founder Philipp Kaufmann could not be reached for comment despite several attempts to contact him. The rumor mill surrounding Lindbauer is boiling on social media, fueled by the owner’s secrecy. Most recently it was said that in 2023, after the official handover, we would see what renovation work was necessary. There is currently speculation as to whether these are much more comprehensive than expected or whether Kaufmann even plans to sell Lindbauer again.

Allegedly outstanding salary payments

Tips has conducted several background interviews with former Kaufmann employees who say they were not paid their standards. One (name known to the editor) says he is still waiting for his salary from August, and: “Actually, pretty much everyone who left KaBB Gastro is waiting for their money.” The lack of experience in the catering industry falls to Kaufmann Now on the head, he goes on to say, but only the employees feel this. Tips would also have liked to confront Kaufmann directly with these allegations, but a written request for comment remained unanswered.

It must be said at this point that during the course of the research, Tips found a service provider who worked with KaBB Gastro and had no outstanding invoices or other problems to complain about. His tenants also speak positively about Kaufmann: Since April 2019, he has been leasing a property on Kühnestrasse in the Dornach district to the Morgentau Gardens garden community. “It’s a good collaboration,” says Christian Stadler, Morgentau initiator.

These places are running

As far as the restaurants taken over by Kaufmann are concerned: The Lunzerwirt at the SK Voest sports center is still open and, according to the website, they are also looking for a part-time employee. At the Oberwirt in St. Magdalena, operations continue as usual. The inn is open from Thursday to Sunday. However, a full restaurant, like in earlier times, is a rare sight. Kaufmann woke the Oberwirt from his slumber in October 2023 after the inn had been empty for around three years. The opening was originally planned six months in advance, but the necessary renovation work took longer than expected.

Also at Rechyyy’s: many questions, no answers

Then there is the bar “Rechyyy’s” in Linz’s old town. The shelves inside have been cleared out and the associated Facebook page is also offline. Bar operations have not taken place here for a long time – whether Rechyyy’s will open again or whether the area will be used for other purposes, KaBB Gastro did not want to say anything about this when asked.