Gastronomic stress: Luxembourg's restaurants struggle to survive

Between December 2024 and January 2025, Luxembourg lost several iconic gastronomic addresses. First, the Eden Rose restaurant in Kayl closed, followed by An Der Villa in Steinfort, owned by Top Chef contestant Thomas Murer. Following them, the Michelin-rated Villa de Camille et Julien in Luxembourg was put up for sale, but no one has bought it yet.

Chef Julien Lucas admitted that even a salary of 2,800 euros "net" no longer motivates potential employees - especially foreign ones: rented accommodation in the country has become so expensive that many people find it easier to give up their jobs than to move.

Steve Martellini, general secretary of HORESCA, notes that weekend work has become unpopular. Today it is no longer perceived as a professional norm, especially among young people.

The owner of La Table de la Chapelle in Neudorf, Christophe Schivre, complains to RTL: teleworking has drastically reduced the number of customers. His rent has risen from €12,000 to €14,000 in four years, while the cost of the "pay-du-jour" remains at €18.90. To cover all costs, lunch should cost around €50, but the market won't allow it.

According to the Ministry of Economy, there will be 1,261 restaurants in the country in 2024, compared to 1,602 a year earlier. At the same time, the number of fast food outlets has grown by 23% over the last 5 years, reaching 376 establishments. Over the same period, cafes, bars and ice-cream parlours decreased by 9%.

Clovis Degrave and Aline Bourscheid, a couple of entrepreneurs, successfully run three restaurants at once: Hostellerie du Grünewald, Grünewald Chef's Table and Maison B. They are now both chefs and accountants. Degrave says that today a restaurateur is both a chef and an accountant. In an unstable environment, only those who carefully control financial flows can survive.

The organisation HORESCA is planning an information campaign to show the real economics of restaurants: how much an ingredient costs, how much is rent, wages, taxes and what is left over in the end. The aim is to explain to customers why the dishes cost as much as they do.