Florian und Manuela Hagen
Owners of the Hagen butcher shop in Lech
Winter 2020/21:
“The place becomes a ghost town in a matter of two hours.”
We were lucky because we were allowed to keep the store open the whole time. We only had to adjust our opening hours. Monday through Thursday we were only open until 1 pm, so we had more time to ourselves. Until then, skiing during the week was unimaginable for us. It was pure luxury. We did a lot with the children and were able to enjoy nature in peace. During the day, the lockdown wasn't noticeable either, but as soon as it got dark, it become spooky. At night the place became a ghost town: empty streets, no buses, silence.
In the shop, the empty guest room turned into a second living room. Initially, we did takeaway, but that didn't work out too well. Things that did sell well were jarred dishes like veal cream goulash, venison stew, or lights. Customers just had to warm them up at home. These sold like hot cakes. What we are really looking forward to is seeing all the familiar faces again. All those people can't wait to come back to Lech.
Summer 2022:
Last winter was a time of uncertainty: In the fall, no one knew if and how our winter season would be going ahead, but by mid-December the time had come. The silence that last winter had been characterised by was gone. We were allowed to welcome guests again and life returned to our house – even if that still involved a lot of hurdles. The biggest problem was the lack of manpower. The term ‘positive’ had suddenly gained a negative connotation.
Nonetheless, we as a family and our loyal employees mastered this situation together. All in all it was a great winter and we are looking forward to the upcoming winter season, hopefully without Covid-19 restrictions and measures.