Switch off the light ...
It was an occasion fit for a king or maybe even a communist party apparachik. The last and most famous state-owned restaurant in Poland was sold off to new owners just after the New Year.
Wierzynek, the Krakow diner that looks more like a museum than a restaurant, was in its time host to all manner of souls from business leaders to local party bosses. But its real claim to fame is probably as the eating place of Polish monarchs.
Andrzej Glowacki, head of DGA, the adviser in Wierzynek's privatization, said its selling stirred "great emotions." It may not be a Wawel, but Wierzynek is treated as a national monument, Glowacki said.
Indeed, Wierzynek is listed in every respectable guidebook on Krakow. Its main claim to fame is a link with the legend of Kazimierz the Great's royal banquet. In one of the restaurant's chambers hangs a picture depicting a ceremonial dinner, with the establishment's alleged founder Mikolaj Wierzynek handing out gold dishes to Europe's illustrious monarchs, which include German Emperor Charles IV and King Peter of Cyprus.
What most people don't know is that Wierzynek's 600-year-old tradition is little more than 50 years old it started shortly before World War II. "Nobody really knows where this historical feast took place," said one Polish history buff.
And while the restaurant's staff may find it hard to recall the last time they served a real king, many would certainly remember serving the communist party bosses who flocked to Wierzynek during the Cold War era.
"The legend about Wierzynek was carried to great heights in communist Poland. It was a very luxurious restaurant and all the rest were so gray that it stood out," said Jerzy Mazgaj, one of the new owners of the restaurant.
Head waiter Franciszek Rosner looks back almost wistfully at the tough times when Wierzynek was the flavor of the month among the apparchiks. "It was the only restaurant that served meat at those times," he said, adding that people willingly queued to get in. The late 1970s were the real golden years for the restaurant when party bosses rolled up to eat delicacies such as canned fruit, Mazgaj said. "And canned fruit is still served (at the restaurant)," he quipped.
While maybe not following all the old traditions, the new owners plan to make some significant changes. They intend to merchandise the restaurant, introducing Wierzynek brands such as beer, vodka and chocolates. "We think that the potential of the brand is high and that's why we bought Wierzynek," Mazgaj said.
But he also bought the restaurant for fun. "It's nice to earn money on pleasant things," he said.
Mazgaj and partners Elzbieta Filipiak and Jerzy Mazgaj paid almost zl. 29 million ($7 million) for 79.99% of Wierzynek.
