Radiopark is providing gourmet chef Alfons Schuhbeck’s Südtiroler Stuben with the finest choice of music. In our Interview, the man himself explains why he chose our curated sounds and what song to avoid when FC Bayern Munich loses a game.
What are the current trends in the gastronomy business? How does Schubecks Südtiroler Stuben pick up on those?
There are always various trends, that are primarily called by importers and producers who want to push something new. Contrary to that, I just follow a trend, when it fits today’s zeitgeist. And the current demand is for a contemporary, light and seasonal cooking that uses strong aromas and is close to nature instead of arty.
In keeping with Munich’s attitude to life, which also lives Southern Germany’s cheerfulness through its cuisine, I am offering a mix of authentic Bavarian and popular Italian dishes. Of course, prepared in traditional goodness but presented in a modern way: You don’t have to order courses in the traditional succession but can get what you feel like. Have us put the entrées in the center of the table and eat what you fancy. Also, our main-courses are no huge dishes for big money but rather well proportioned.
A lot of restaurateurs are still using their own CD collection or create personal playlists with various streaming services. Why did you decide to have professionals produce your restaurant’s soundtrack?
It’s as easy as that: in the kitchen and in the service, professionals take care of our guests. Why should I leave the furnishing and atmosphere to amateurs? When people are visiting a restaurant, they don’t want to be fed as if they were in a canteen. They are expecting a nice lunch or evening. The experience in a restaurant also depends on personal moods and the occasion. Be it happy, festive or business. All that has to be considered.
Personally, I find music in a restaurant pleasant until it is crowded and as soon as it starts emptying again. When it comes to music, no guest should get the idea that we do “auditory marketing”, for which, for example, English psychology professor Adrian North found out during restaurant tests that guests spent more on food when listening to classical music than when listening to pop or abstaining from music. His reasoning: “Classical music is associated with many things in our minds. We feel more refined, more sophisticated, more educated, and therefore richer when we listen to it.”
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Music awakens memories – how should your guests remember their visit to Schuhbeck’s Südtiroler Stuben?
They should have the feeling that they are not only getting a service for money but that we also want to make them happy. I would like us to offer our guests not only a pleasant experience but also to maintain the restaurant as a place of lively, atmospheric and personal well-being in a world that is becoming increasingly aggressive, complicated and pessimistic. The stressful everyday life with all its unfriendly constraints and restrictive guidelines should remain outside the door, while inside a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere should prevail.
Can you remember a moment in the restaurant when the music just didn’t fit at all?
Up until now, I was always able to avoid playing ‘We Are the Champions’ after FC Bayern Munich, whose restaurant I also run, got defeated. Similarly, after sad public occasions, Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón never got to sing the exuberant drinking song ‘Brindisi’ from Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’ as the epitome of joie de vivre.
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