>OK, so it’s not ACTUALLY Mainz, but it’s close enough and I’m not encroaching on anyone’s territory….

Think “Self Service”.

Think “System Gastronomy”

Then forget anything preconceptions you might have along the lines of McDonalds, Taco Bell or KFC

This is “Vapiano”, just across the river in Wiesbaden.

The concept is brilliant – simple pricing structure, friendly staff, good food, stylish fittings, upmarket.

Italian. Obviously.

They do antipasti, salads, pizza, pasta and desserts. Draught beer, big range of wines, excellent coffee.

I’d stumbled across one in Münster last year and read a write-up on the founder of the chain in the paper on Sunday. (Youngish guy, bought a McD’s franchise in Hof on what used to be the border between the two Germany’s, the Wall comes down and he rides the wave of latent demand for a Western lifestyle all the way to the bank. Buys 3 more McD franchises, makes a pile of cash and comes up with the concept for “Vapiano”. There are now 33 – 22 in Germany, a few in Washington DC and looking to extend into the Middle East)

So I’m standing outside the restaurant, in the process of being highly impressed by the boldness of the vent conduits, when out comes Michael Schlarmann, the franchise owner, and starts chatting. (Ms jb is off looking at shoe shops, comes back, sees me in lively discussion with this guy and thinks “Oh shit, he’s got himself into an argument about taking photographs. Again.” and disappears back into the shops.

We were actually having a fairly erudite conversation about the value of retaining significant 1960s architecture (as in the building which houses Vapiano in Wiesbaden) for future generations, the choices he faced for venting the extractor fans (try unsuccessfully to camouflage them or to go full on and project the brand via the colour), the concept and design catalogue issues, brand strength. And so on.

We’d actually intended eating elsewhere but went there for dinner anyway.

Quite excellent

27 Jan This entry was published on 27 January, 2008 at 08:56. It’s filed under Mainz, Region and tagged Wiesbaden. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.