Staples of Austrian cooking such as schnitzel, roast pork lung and boiled beef have proved particularly vital for Gasthaus Stich, a restaurant in the village of Pfoesing.
They have helped the struggling business to survive by earning it a subsidy from right-wing state authorities in a controversial programme that benefits only traditional Austrian cuisine.
The subsidy for restaurants that serve regional and “traditional food” has been derided in the media and by opposition parties as a “schnitzel bonus”.
It excludes restaurants serving less overtly authentic Austrian fare such as kebabs or pizza, for example.
As a typical Austrian staple, schnitzel – a boneless piece of meat that has been pounded thin to make it more tender and then coated and fried – qualifies for the cash.
“They gave us €10,000,” or US$11,000, said Michael Stich, the 39-year-old owner of the family business in Pfoesing, population 300, in the state of Lower Austria.
The village’s last surviving restaurant is an institution, “like the church, town hall or fire station”, he says. “If this place didn’t exist, it would be difficult for the entire community.”
The conservative head of Austria’s government, Chancellor Karl Nehammer, has said he wants to defend the country’s Leitkultur, or “dominant culture”, as he seeks to bolster support ahead of September elections.
Campaigning on an anti-immigration platform, he has evoked the Leitkultur concept, born in Germany in the 1990s, as polls indicate the far-right will come out on top for the first time in the Alpine nation.
Lower Austria – governed by the conservatives together with the far-right – introduced the “Schnitzel bonus” this year for owners who open a restaurant in a community without one or take over an existing one.
“The subsidy was very important for us,” said Michael Stich’s father, Hermann Stich, 62.
He continues to help out after his son became the third generation to run the business at the beginning of the year.
As he taps beer served over a large wooden counter, he notes the impact of energy and labour costs that are hurting the restaurant, which sports hunting antlers and a crucifix on the walls.
Since 2000, one in three restaurants in the state of Lower Austria, near Vienna, have closed, partly because of a rural exodus, with the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdown also taking their toll.
So far, 20 restaurants have received the bonus.
But critics have denounced the measure as discriminatory – an accusation rejected by Kurt Hackl, a member of the state parliament for the conservative Austrian People’s Party.
“Village restaurants in Lower Austria are dying out, and we want to support them,” he said, calling them “special”.
At Gasthaus Stich – which also features regional wines and seasonal dishes such as chanterelles (a type of mushroom) with dumplings – clubs from the community regularly hold their meetings there, and guests play cards on wooden tables.
“In small communities, the tavern is the centre of social life. People celebrate, laugh and cry there together,” said Oliver Fritz at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research.
However, Fritz considers the €10,000 subsidy as just a “drop in the ocean”.
He also warns of possible “windfall effects” for restaurant owners who do not really require the support. He also questioned why restaurants that offer pizza or kebabs should be excluded.
“The social function works even if it is an Italian restaurant,” he says. “If demand evolves and younger generations prefer to eat something else, then it’s better to adjust, because countering a trend is extremely difficult.”
Meanwhile, at the national level, Nehammer has tasked his integration minister with defining what Leitkultur means for the country of nine million people, which, like the rest of the European Union, has seen an influx of migrants and asylum seekers.
Under his “plan for Austria” launched early this year, Nehammer said, “Anyone who wants to live permanently in Austria must represent our values, accept our culture and adapt to our way of life”.
