Comfort Food #3: Billy Wagner – The restaurateur as crisis manager

“Food, care, medicine, security: I hope this crisis makes us realize as a society that these are elementary things worth fighting for.“
Billy Wagner – Nobelhart & Schmutzig, 06.04.20

The restaurant Nobelhart & Schmutzig also offers a food package to enjoy at home: Nobelhart & Daheim. The package comes with a weekly changing menu, a choice of different wines and some other surprises. For pick-up or delivery and with all the prep work done, for minimal effort on your side.

Billy Wagner is co-founder of Die Gemeinschaft, and host and sommelier at Nobelhart & Schmutzig. But for the past 3 weeks, he’s mainly been a crisis manager. In our third #comfortfoodtalk, he told us how he and his team had to develop a new business model within just a few days: “Nobelhart und Daheim”, a delivery system recreating moments of enjoyment Nobelhart & Schmutzig-style in your own home. “It gives you a chance to experience self-efficacy, to have the power to determine things, you can let yourself and your loved ones have a good time. This positive feeling can make the worries and existential questions that hover out there a little bit smaller.”

Billy also told us how he and his colleagues personally experienced the outbreak of the Corona pandemic: how do you deal with a threat that is not really tangible, and which extends beyond our control? Does this newly set up delivery service serve as occupational therapy, or is this model also conceivable for the future? What wishes and ideas does Billy have for the coming period, and for the progressive lifting of self-isolation measures?

The discussion was moderated by Lorraine Haist , Editor-at-large of B-EAT Magazin.

Restaurant Nobelhart & Schmutzig: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Billy Wagner: Instagram