Hägglingen AG "Because we don't allow ourselves to be cheated out of everything" - popular restaurant closes
For ten years, the Maiengrün restaurant was a meeting place - now it is closing. After a dispute with the municipality of Hägglingen, landlord Roland Lämmli has pulled the ripcord and sold the business. The reason: a parking lot and wounded pride.
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- The popular excursion destination Restaurant Maiengrün in Hägglingen remains closed after a dispute with the municipality; landlord Roland Lämmli wants to sell the business for good.
- This was triggered by a conflict over a camper van parking area that Lämmli had built during the pandemic and did not remove despite requests from the municipality.
- After ten years of successful management and great commitment - for example in the construction of a playground - the landlord is now retiring. The future of the restaurant is uncertain
What was once considered a cozy gastronomic paradise for hikers, families and cyclists has fallen silent: the popular excursion destination Restaurant Maiengrün has closed its doors for over two months. And not because of a lack of guests - but because of a tangible dispute with the municipality, reports the "Aargauer Zeitung".
The message on the notice board in front of the building alone makes you sit up and take notice: "Closed! Because we won't let anything be foisted on us." An announcement with reverberations. Landlord Roland Lämmli tells the "Aargauer Zeitung": "I'm not going to open the restaurant again, I'm going to sell it."
Ten years of passion - an abrupt end
A big blow, as Lämmli has built up a loyal clientele over the last ten years. He took over the restaurant on Hägglingen's local mountain in 2015 - initially as a tenant and since 2019 as the owner. His hospitality has even been recognized by the renowned guild of established Swiss restaurateurs. But now it's over.
The reason: a smouldering conflict over a caravan park that Lämmli had set up during the coronavirus pandemic - directly in front of the restaurant, near the Maiengrünturm. The buildings remained standing even after the pandemic. Neither the tower association nor the municipality liked this.
The municipality opposed it
Municipal mayor Franz Schaad emphasized in the "Aargauer Zeitung": "We asked Roland Lämmli several times to open up the parking lot for visitors to the tower again. There is an easement." But instead of giving in, the dispute continued. The fronts hardened and the case ended up before the justice of the peace. For Lämmli, this was obviously the straw that broke the camel's back.
"I won't be bullied," says the landlord. Although he actually wanted to continue working beyond retirement age, he is now calling it a day. The last banquets were held - then it was finally over. "I reached retirement age last week, so I'm calling it a day and selling the property," he says.
A man with a heart for children
Lämmli has not only made a name for himself in culinary terms: he also renovated the playground in front of the restaurant on his own initiative. Together with regional supporters, he transformed the dilapidated area into a place to run around and linger - another example of his commitment away from the cooking pot.
What will happen next?
What will become of the traditional inn is currently unclear. Lämmli confirms: "There are a few interested parties." Whether the Maiengrün will continue to be run as a restaurant, however, is still up in the air.
