Candrian Catering

Candrian Catering AG is a Swiss hospitality and catering company headquartered at Bahnhofplatz 15 in Zürich. It traces its roots to 1923 and is today a family business that describes itself as an embodiment of hospitality, fulfilling culinary wishes even at the location of the client's choice. The company operates nationwide across Switzerland, catering more than 100 events each year and offering a portfolio that ranges from house-made specialties from its own kitchen, butcher's shop, bakery and patisserie to beloved classics from the Restaurant Clouds and Brasserie Lipp in Zürich and the Restaurant Kunsthalle Basel. The modern corporate entity, Candrian Catering AG, was founded in 1999 by Martin Candrian, who consolidated the family's existing individual businesses — including the Restaurants Bahnhofbuffet Zürich HB, Bahnhofbuffet Zürich Enge, Restaurant Rapido and Gasthof zum Hirschen am See in Meilen, as well as the stake in the Aktiengesellschaft Suvretta-Haus — into a single company seated at Zürich Hauptbahnhof. The group belongs to Candrian Hospitality Holding AG. Historically the company was best known as the operator of the Bahnhofsbuffet Zürich HB, the collective restaurant operations within Zürich's main railway station, a concession held by the family across generations. Under Martin Candrian the business expanded beyond the station into the city of Zürich and later into Basel, adding hotels, bistros, brasseries and bars. By 2011 the group operated 31 restaurants, eleven take-aways, a catering service, a wine shop and two hotels, and held a stake in the luxury Suvretta House in St. Moritz. It employed around 1,180 people and generated a net turnover of 114 million Swiss francs in 2010. Today Candrian Catering positions itself as a flexible, nationwide caterer that can stage events wherever the client wishes, combining its own production in kitchen, butchery, bakery and patisserie with the culinary reputation of its restaurant brands. Its long heritage, family ownership and broad Zürich restaurant footprint make it one of the established names in Swiss gastronomy.

The foundation of Candrian Catering lies in the family's long association with Zürich Hauptbahnhof. Martin Candrian's maternal great-grandfather, Anton Bon, is regarded as one of the pioneers of Swiss tourism in the late 19th century and owned various hotels, including the luxury Park Hotel Vitznau in Vitznau and Suvretta House in St. Moritz. This family tradition passed through generations, including to Hans Bon and later to his son-in-law Rudolf Candrian. In 1921 Hans Bon succeeded in taking over the restaurant operations at Zürich Hauptbahnhof as general tenant from the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). He steered the family business through the Great Depression and the Second World War relatively unscathed. After his death in 1950, Rudolf Candrian took over the majority of the family business. When the lease for the Bahnhofsbuffet was re-tendered in 1955, Rudolf Candrian defended it, and in return handed over the management of Suvretta House to his brother Albert Candrian. Martin Candrian joined the family business in 1975 under the leadership of his father Rudolf. With the re-tendering of the Bahnhofsbuffet lease, a generational change was set in motion. Against a broad field of competitors, the Candrian family defended the lease again in 1978, and in 1979 Martin Candrian took over the leadership of the station gastronomy as the third generation. The construction of the underground floors of the main station, which began in 1979, caused inconvenience for the following 20 years, and with the opening of the shopping level from 1990, the retailer Migros and other snack outlets also sold drinks and small meals in the middle of the station. To spread business risk better, under Martin Candrian the company began to consider locations outside the main station. The station conversion ultimately paid off, allowing additional workrooms for station gastronomy and the integration of a central catering operation in the main station. In mid-1999 Martin Candrian consolidated the existing activities into the newly founded Candrian Catering AG, seated at the main station. The individual businesses Restaurants Bahnhofbuffet Zürich HB, Bahnhofbuffet Zürich Enge, Restaurant Rapido and Gasthof zum Hirschen am See in Meilen, as well as the shares in Aktiengesellschaft Suvretta-Haus, were contributed to the company. In May 2000 Martin Candrian founded the subsidiary Candrian Seafood AG as Swiss franchisee of the German Nordsee fast-food restaurant chain, opening the seafood buffet branch in the main station in October 2000 and a smaller store branch in Winterthur in December. In November 2001 a store branch was added in the main station. Further steps away from pure station gastronomy were taken in mid-2002 through the full takeover of Hotel Montana Zürich AG. With the second hotel, after the Hirschen am See acquired in 1986, came the bistro/bar Le Lyonnais. Also in the city centre, near Paradeplatz, came the bistro vis-à-vis with the attached Le Café am Talacker. The greatest media response, however, was triggered by the takeover of the Brasserie Lipp, opened in October 1990 in the building of the Urania observatory in Zürich. Further Nordsee branches opened in November 2002 at Zürich Rennweg — well outside the station environment — and in December at Bern station. In March 2003 the sixth Nordsee branch followed at Zürich Airport, in the food court of the newly built Airport Plaza shopping area — it would be the last. When the Urban Entertainment Center Sihlcity opened in March 2007, the Restaurant Imagine in the main station gained a branch in the Wiedikon district. Due to high costs, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) gave up its newspaper printing plant at its headquarters next to the opera house, which had last operated practically as a demonstration printing works; alongside the conversion of the rooms for retail, the building was also rebuilt for a combined restaurant and bar operation. In the competition held by the NZZ for this, Candrian's concept prevailed: in October 2008 the Brasserie Schiller and the Goethe Bar opened. Expansion to Basel was undertaken in 2007, when the Basler Kunstverein re-tendered the lease for the Restaurant Kunsthalle. After it was clear that Candrian could take over the lease, Restaurant Kunsthalle Basel AG was founded at the end of 2007 and operations of the restaurant, the Kunsthalle Bar and the Campari Bar were taken over as of 1 July 2008. Meanwhile the Nordsee branches developed far below expectations, unable to gain a foothold outside the main station and the airport. As a consequence, the three branches at Zürich Rennweg, in Winterthur and in Bern were closed again; at the end of 2009 Candrian Seafood AG was merged into the parent company and dissolved. In Basel, in July 2010, the company expanded further in the old town. By 2011 the group operated 31 restaurants, eleven take-aways, a catering service, a wine shop and two hotels, held a stake in the luxury Suvretta House in St. Moritz, employed around 1,180 people and generated a net turnover of 114 million Swiss francs in 2010. The company belongs to Candrian Hospitality Holding AG.

• 2011

  Group operates 31 restaurants, eleven take-aways, a catering service, a wine shop and two hotels, with around 1,180 employees.

• 2010

  Further expansion in Basel's old town in July; group reports net turnover of 114 million Swiss francs for 2010.

• 2009

  Candrian Seafood AG is merged into the parent company and dissolved after Nordsee branches underperform.

• 2008

  Brasserie Schiller and Goethe Bar open in the NZZ building; Kunsthalle Basel operations taken over on 1 July.

• 2007

  Expansion to Basel begins with the Restaurant Kunsthalle lease; Restaurant Kunsthalle Basel AG is founded.

• 2003

  Sixth and last Nordsee branch opens at Zürich Airport's Airport Plaza.

• 2002

  Full takeover of Hotel Montana Zürich AG; further Nordsee branches open in Zürich Rennweg and Bern.

• 2000

  Candrian Seafood AG is founded as Swiss franchisee of Nordsee; first branches open in Zürich and Winterthur.

• 1999

  Candrian Catering AG is founded, consolidating the family's individual businesses at Zürich Hauptbahnhof.

• 1986

  Acquisition of Hirschen am See, the family's first hotel.

• 1979

  Martin Candrian takes over leadership of the station gastronomy as the third generation.

• 1978

  The Candrian family defends the Bahnhofsbuffet lease again against broad competition.

• 1975

  Martin Candrian joins the family business under his father Rudolf.

• 1955

  Rudolf Candrian defends the Bahnhofsbuffet lease in re-tendering; hands Suvretta House management to his brother Albert.

• 1950

  After Hans Bon's death, Rudolf Candrian takes over the majority of the family business.

• 1923

  Candrian's hospitality tradition is dated from this year, per the company's own account.

• 1921

  Hans Bon takes over restaurant operations at Zürich Hauptbahnhof as general tenant from SBB.

Family-run Swiss hospitality group combining heritage restaurant brands with nationwide event catering.

• Catering service

  Nationwide event catering at the client's chosen location.

• Restaurant dining

  Operation of restaurants including Brasserie Lipp, Restaurant Clouds and Restaurant Kunsthalle Basel.

• Take-away food

  Take-away outlets, historically including Nordsee seafood branches.

• Bakery and patisserie

  House-made specialties from the company's own bakery and patisserie.

• Butcher's shop products

  House-made specialties from the company's own butcher's shop.

• Wine retail

  Operation of a wine shop.

• Hotel accommodation

  Operation of hotels including Hotel Montana Zürich and Hirschen am See.

1. 1Das schweizweit tätige Catering Unternehmen | Candrian Catering AGcandriancatering.ch
2. 2Candrian Catering – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Candrian Catering – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org