On June 13, 2010, the citizens of the city of Zurich voted on an amendment to the municipal code. This provided that the city should operate a municipal kitchen. With the adoption of the bill, the city is no longer obliged to do so and could then sell the kitchen to a private caterer. The vote was narrowly approved by 51%.
The origins of the city kitchen date back to 1879. At that time, a people's kitchen was established to feed the poor and was operated by the city. The kitchen existed for more than 100 years and produced menus for the city schools, retirement homes and 25 restaurants, employing, among others, people who were difficult to integrate into the regular labor market. In the 1990s, however, the company became increasingly financially unstable. The city decided to transfer the kitchen from the Department of Social Affairs to the Department of Health and Environment in order to make better use of synergies. At the same time, the city decided to abandon the restaurant business and focus on producing meals for the city. Although a positive balance was achieved in this way, there were fears about the future of the city kitchen and the jobs associated with it in a new market environment in which fewer and fewer but better positioned competitors were active. A freer market orientation was only possible with a strong partner who could also invest in and expand the city kitchen. This partner was found at the beginning of 2003 in DSR - today's Eldora AG. DSR and the City Kitchen jointly founded Menu and More AG, with the city holding 40% and DSR 60%. With the vote in 2010, the City Kitchen, which at that time was only a producer for Menu and More AG, was fully privatized and transferred to Menu and More. With a farewell party on December 17, 2010, the 131-year history of the City Kitchen came to an end.
(1) - Die städtische Volksküche in Zürich: Arch. Stadtbaumeister H. Herter, Schweizerische Bauzeitung, 115/116 (2) - Stadtküche Zürich soll verkauft werden,
foodaktuell (3) - Stadtküche nach 130 Jahren in privaten Hände, Tagesanzeiger, 13.06.2010 (4) - Die elektrische Grossküche vom Standpunkt des Architekten betrachtet,
Das Werk, 28 (1941) (5) - Menu and more,
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