Austria, with a post on social networks, a famous pizzeria that prohibits access to “vegetarians and Arabs”: the restaurateur denounced

instead of a sign, Stephen Lercher, owner Resturant Peppino from Millstatt am See (Carinthia, Austria), entrusted the message of prohibiting entry to certain categories of clients to social networks. He made a very clear explanation in a story posted on the restaurant’s Instagram profile (now gone but visible – no photos – when we began writing this article): This is how the Peppino team begins the new year. We would also like to inform you all that our restaurant will be reopening on the 19th of January with 6 tables for our regular guests and locals. cA place for everyone. Vegetarians, hippies, environmentalists, and Arabs were excluded. Greetings and Happy New Year.

The restaurant owner replied

A few lines that caused, of course, a stir, also because of Stefan Lercher, a well-known restaurateur in the area thanks to the famous pizza maker Paolo Romano, winner of many competitions. At first he tried to justify his gesture by handing his words over to Klein ZeitungWe were harassed by a group of Arabs. I never want them in my restaurant again, Lercher said, without explaining why, in his view, insolence is a matter of geographic origin, nor why his ban has been extended to those who do not eat meat and its derivatives, or environmentalists. He also said that he is not afraid of bad publicity and losing customers because he has so many. I’ve been on the Millstatt gastronomic scene for ten years. Food wears you down, so it’s time to pick your audience and reduce the number of seats. I will focus only on the local guests, Lerchner explained, explaining that it will be moving from 250 seats to just eight tables, while keeping only three people on the team.
In the opinion of the restaurateur, others will be affected by this decision: in the summer this will be a big problem for Millstatt, he told the Kleine Zeitung, motivating his words by the fact that other restaurants in the city will not be. Big enough to hold a large number of tourists. As if to confirm his guilt, he announced his intention to ask the municipality and the tourist office to remove his restaurant from the list of restaurant activities.

Results

His name is on the website of the Carinthian Tourist Office indeed not C’, But in the meantime, Lechener has to deal with the consequences of his actions that many judge Clear racial bias. The head of the Gastronomy Department of the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper – which followed this story step by step – that Guests cannot be refused on the basis of gender, race or religion. If the violation becomes known, it must be addressed before the Equal Treatment Commission.
Lercher admitted several days later that the publication had been a mistake. He continued, but I am known for my direct method. Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed by Aleksander Pollak, an activist spokesperson for SOS Mitmensch, a human rights association. The decision is now up to the judge – who knows if it’s not Arab, environmental or vegan.