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It should be fast, but it should also be healthy and sustainably produced: The idea of Not Guilty was as simple as it was impressive. And it started well. At takeaways, you can order “hearty bowls” or “hot sandwiches” from employees called “Angels”, and – in the spirit of Zurich – find out on the company’s website that “Malaysian beef” is grazed at Reusstal. Bread is baked for “Pulled Vegan Joy” in Baden.
At its best, Not Guilty (meaning “without regret”) had five branches in central locations. Three closed, one in Stauffacher for just a few weeks.
The company has problems, and they are serious. At the end of April, the Zurich District Court issued a definitive debt restructuring moratorium. A debt appeal was recently published in the Official Gazette to negotiate an agreement with creditors to write off part of the outstanding debt. If that doesn’t work, Not Guilty faces bankruptcy.
Covid loans of hundreds of thousands of francs
“The situation is really difficult,” said general manager and founder Roland W.*, who did not want to be named. says. “Hereditary burdens” are “potentially existentially threatening”.
That means several hundred thousand francs in Covid loans that Not Guilty received during the pandemic and now have to repay. The company has eight years to do this, but Roland W. can already say, “It’s going to be very difficult.” Sales recovered only slowly, as one lunch restaurant was hit “particularly badly” by the trend towards working from home.
Not Guilty received hardship benefits during the pandemic, but her application was rejected in the final round. The company appealed the financial department’s decision.
Roland W. was an HSG graduate and an Easyjet pilot. He established “the first healthy fast-casual concept in Switzerland” inspired by “numerous stops abroad”, where he constantly encountered “new catering concepts”. In doing so, he realized his dream of “fast, healthy and fresh” food. This was in 2007.
The rise of Not Guilty followed the triumph of chains like Hitzberger, Gärtnerei, Dean & David and Martha’s Salad. New healthy people in cities opened more takeaways almost every week. At times, Miriam Blocher, the daughter of former Federal Councilor Christoph Blocher, was also a member of the Governing Body.
Two branches left
Martha’s Salad and Gärtnerei are long gone – though the healthy fast food trend has been strengthened by Covid. Even the big chains are being forced to rethink: McDonald’s has now hired nutritionists, Taco Bell is focusing on low-calorie options with fewer artificial ingredients.
Roland W. says the two remaining locations in Zurich-Oerlikon will certainly continue. 20 people work there, mostly on an hourly basis. W. and an employee do the back office. Basically, Switzerland is a tough market. But Dean & David’s success in Germany motivates: “This is our ‘reason to believe’.”
The No Guilty logo is still on the old Stauffacher branch and the menu is at the door. Starting in June, Firehouse Subs, an American fast food chain, will open here. At best, the salad is a side dish out there.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
