Germany: Klinglwirt – Munich’s First Organic Inn: Unconventional, Family-Run and Climate-Friendly

Introduction

Klinglwirt is Munich's first organic Inn – unconventional, family-run and climate-friendly. The small selection of regional specialities offered is homemade. The meat used comes exclusively from organic and species-appropriate livestock farming, and naturalness and regionality are also the most important selection criteria for all other ingredients. Klinglwirt has an informal and warm Inn atmosphere (see Fig. 1). Neighbours, Haidhausen residents, Munich residents, Schafkopf ¹ fans and people from all over the world meet here to drink a beer in a relaxed atmosphere, enjoy Bavarian cuisine, play cards and immerse themselves in the cosy Inn atmosphere.

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Fig. 1.

Exterior View of Klinglwirt.

Vision and Mission

‘I wanted to bring an Inn, like the one I remember from my childhood in the village to the city. And I wanted to prove that a climate-friendly business can be profitable – even in the restaurant business. The result: The Klinglwirt!’ (Sonja Obermeier, founder and owner).

Products and/or Services Offered by Klinglwirt

1. Organic food and drinks in a Bavarian ambience

2. Traditional Bavarian Inn

3. Use of compostable packaging only

4. Offering small dishes to avoid food waste

5. Old pub furniture instead of newly purchased furniture

Background to Klinglwirt

More than a 100 years ago, Jakob Kirmair bought a property in Weidach (district of Ebersberg, located east of the Bavarian capital Munich). Jakob Kirmair was a miller and butcher. The property included some meadows, a forest, a barn for cows and chickens, a small butcher shop and an Inn – with a guest room and a large banquet hall. In 1905, Jakob Kirmair and his wife Anna Kirmair opened the Klinglwirt, which quickly became a social meeting place for various groups and clubs. The business was run as a ‘Tafernwirtschaft’. ² The beer was supplied by a brewery, and there was no fixed menu.

During World War II, the books from the Bavarian State Library were brought to safety from the Allied bombardments to the Klinglwirt. The books were temporarily stored in the hall.

The Innkeeper at that time, Jakob Kirmair, was the great-grandfather of the current landlady Sonja Obermair and was a landlord with heart and soul. He was humourous, a great lover of horses and very popular in the community. His youngest daughter Babette took over the Inn in 1946, together with her husband Jakob Gerg. When Jakob Gerg died in 1967, Babette Gerg continued to run the Klinglwirt alone with her three children.

Ten years later, the eldest daughter Anna Obermeier took over the Inn. Anna's daughter Sonja Obermeier also grew up in the Inn.

When Sonja Obermeier was 10 years old, Anna Obermeier handed over the business to Sonja's older brother Jakob Obermeier (whose first name was the same as the first Innkeeper). In 1987, he gave up the Klinglwirt – to the great regret of the community.

Sonja Obermeier studied social work for a few semesters, dropped out and then worked in the restaurant sector for a while. She then studied tourism management at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich. Afterwards, she worked for two years as a management consultant in the field of climate protection before deciding to set up a climate-friendly and sustainable business in the restaurant sector.

Cosy Eco-Inn in Munich Haidhausen

On 26 August 2011, the Klinglwirt reopened in the style of Sonja's family Inn, now at a different location in Haidhausen, a district in the east of Munich. The establishment of the business was supported by family and friends from the very beginning. Sonja's best friend, Maria Rossbauer, helped with the founding and later wrote a book about this phase. Likewise, Sonja's parents helped, as did her husband (Rossbauer, 2013).

Table 1 reflects the central milestones of the Klinglwirt:

Table 1.

Klinglwirt Key Milestones.

1905	Great-grandfather Jakob Kirmair opens Klinglwirt in Weidach together with his wife Anna Kirmair
1946	Handover to daughter Babette and her husband Jakob Gerg
1967	Jakob Gerg dies, Babette Gerg continues to run Klinglwirt alone
1977	Handover to Babette's eldest daughter Anna Obermeier
1986	Handover to Sonja Obermeier's brother Jakob Obermeier
1987	Closing of the old Klinglwirt
2011	Opening of the new Klinglwirt in Munich-Haidhausen

Today, there is a head chef, a service manager and an office manager. These three have more or less equal authority to issue directives. The Klinglwirt usually has 20 to 25 employees – depending on the season. Six of them are permanent employees, and the others are students or temporary staff (see Fig. 2).

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Fig. 2.

Sonja Obermeier (Fourth From Left) and Part of Her Team.

For Sonja Obermeier, the topics of sustainability and responsible consumption or production and climate protection are of central importance, because organically produced food has a significantly better climate balance than conventional food. Since the opening of the Klinglwirt in 2011, she has tried to take this into account through the following steps (see Table 2, Fig. 3):

Table 2.

Timeline of Implemented Measures in Responsible Production.

2011	100% Bavarian organic meat, supplied by Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten Glonn GmbH & Co. KG 100% organic bread Exclusively fish sourced from sustainable fisheries at Lake Starnberg Purchase of liquor and eggs from farmers in the Munich area No use of coffee-to-go cups and disposable packaging made of aluminium, styrofoam or plastic Restoration and use of used, old pub furniture instead of using newly purchased furniture Purchase of 100% green electricity from the Stadtwerke München (Munich public utility company)
2012	Actively offering small portions on the menu to avoid food waste
2014	Motivating guests to take home leftovers in compostable packaging (from 2016 also as a note on the menu)
2015	Switch to 100% cow's milk cheese Switch to organic apple juice
2016	Switch to 100% organic ice cream Organic beer from the Dachauer Schlossbrauerei is added to the menu
2017	Switch to 100% organic coffee, tea and milk Replacing plastic straws with paper or real straws Switch to biodegradable products for handwashing soap and dishwashing detergent
2018	Use of LEDs for the majority of lighting Purchase of new energy-saving refrigerators Refraining from the use of imported cut flowers Significant increase in the proportion of organic wine on offer Purchase of many other organic products, e.g. sauerkraut, spelt flour, etc. Switch to 100% organic potatoes
2019	Regular use of organic seasonal vegetables on the weekly menu Schupfnudeln (see Fig. 3) as a vegan main meal and vegan organic ice cream (sorbet) as standard on the menu
2020	Reusable packaging from Relevo for takeaway meals Elimination of single-use bags, e.g. of salt and sugar, during the COVID-19 pandemic Organic oat milk for cappuccino etc. Switch to organic eggs
2021	Increasing the proportion of vegetarian meals on the menu to 50% All dairy products, including butter and cream, are now Bavarian and organic Switch to organic goat cheese Purchase of organic dumpling bread from Martins Holzofenbäckerei in Grafing (town outside Munich) Salad dressing is now also 100% organic and vegan (apple syrup instead of honey)

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Fig. 3.

Vegan Schupfnudeln (Traditional Meal).

SDG#12 Responsible Consumption and Production and Klinglwirt

Large quantities of waste are produced every day in restaurant establishments such as the Klinglwirt. In Germany, there are many regulations, including those about waste disposal. And rightly so, because hygiene is one of the most important cornerstones of a successful restaurant business. The resulting kitchen waste, as well as other types of waste, must be disposed of properly in accordance with the currently applicable regulations and the circular economy. With the appropriate know-how, however, professional waste disposal is also possible for large quantities. This is precisely where the responsible approach of the Klinglwirt in the area of consumption and production of the goods used becomes apparent, which is aligned with SDG#12.5 which aims to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

Klinglwirt is aware of the 11 targets and 13 indicators associated with SDG#12 and regularly addresses them. Although the business has not yet reached the stage where it can use the indicators to measure performance – mainly because there is a lack of staff in the restaurant sector due to the shortage of skilled workers – the following goals are increasingly coming into focus: material footprint (SDG#12.2.1), domestic material consumption (SDG#12.2.2) and recycling rates (SDG#12.5.1), just to mention the most important. Klinglwirt deals intensively with the other targets wherever possible, always bearing in mind that it is a restaurant. However, this is also where the challenges with the SDGs and especially SDG#12 for small and medium-sized businesses become apparent: about half of Klinglwirt's workforce consists of kitchen staff, the other of service staff. The only person responsible for administrative work is Sonja Obermaier with a part-time secretary. Against this background, time resources are very limited, and priorities have to be set to keep the operational business running, especially in uncertain times. Sonja and her team always try to act in the spirit of the SDGs and SDG#12, even if the indicators cannot be operationalised to this extent. Nevertheless, all those involved strive to comply with this successfully.

Key Activities of the Business

‘We make Bavarian organic cuisine with many vegetarian and vegan meals and a high organic share. This, as well as our other measures, is our contribution to sustainability and climate protection. As a responsible restaurant, we are committed to using natural resources sustainably and efficiently. We try as much as possible to avoid or recycle waste and not waste food. We want to be an example to our guests and to other restaurants so that they learn more about sustainable consumption. We certainly don't do it perfectly, but we've made a start. And we hope that many other restaurants will follow a similar path!’ (Sonja Obermeier, founder, and owner).

Business Model and SDG#12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Sustainable business models have been experiencing an upswing for some years now, and it is imperative that they do. It takes holistic approaches for a company to realise sustainability. But many sustainable business models must face the challenge of how to reconcile sustainability with competitiveness. That is why such companies need to make the best possible use of the resources available to them. This is, even more, the case against the background of the fact that a restaurant business like Klinglwirt has brewery ties. ³ Fortunately, guests are becoming increasingly aware that regional and seasonal foods are not only more delicious but also healthier and more environmentally friendly. Exotic meals or flown-in ingredients, on the other hand, are no longer necessary and are sometimes even perceived more negatively than positively by guests.

For Klinglwirt, the focus in this context is to offer as many organic products as possible from organic producers with certification from the region and to do so in a Bavarian style, in a Bavarian ambience. Klinglwirt strives for the best quality because local or regional suppliers are more trustworthy. It is possible to trace how the goods were produced and how the animals were kept. In addition, the Klinglwirt only uses green electricity. In this context, for Klinglwirt it is important to avoid long transport routes in the sense of target SDG#12.2 (sustainable management and use of natural resources) for example and to use only regional products from the immediate surroundings for the meals. No fossil raw materials are used for the processing of regional products, but only eco-electricity that comes 100% from renewable energy plants in the Munich area (SDG#12.c.1, removing fossil fuel subsidies).

However, aspiration and actual feasibility cannot always be guaranteed 100%, which was also a learning process for Sonja Obermeier. She wanted to prove, however, that such a business model can also be sustainable: cost-intensive purchasing of goods and fair remuneration of employees. In the 11 years since the company was founded, there have also been financially difficult phases, which could, however, be overcome with cost-cutting measures.

Klinglwirt's activities around sustainability have not yet been noticed by competitors. There are still too few restaurants that focus on sustainability or organic food and beverages. The concern that this business model would find imitators has been unfounded to date. This is also what makes the Klinglwirt unique in this segment.

Networks and Awards Regarding SDG#12 Responsible Consumption and Production

A restaurant offering organic food, and Bavarian-style food at that, is still considered an exception in the state capital of Munich. The USP is regularly honoured both by guests and particularly by the press. Especially at the opening in 2011, the Klinglwirt enjoyed extensive press reporting as local, national and even international press reported extensively on the opening.

The Klinglwirt receives consistently positive reviews in the relevant online portals, which in turn generates interest and a related demand among those groups that have dedicated themselves to organic food. For example, members of the political party Bündnis 90/Die Grünen ⁴ (Munich chapter), the Slow Food ⁵ Movement or Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie München e.V. (GWÖ) ⁶ regularly hold meetings at the Klinglwirt.

The following partners and suppliers are also part of the Klinglwirt network:

• Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten Glonn GmbH & Co. KG: Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten is an ecological company founded in 1986 for farming and livestock breeding as well as the production and marketing of fresh food. The name derives from its location on the former Herrmannsdorf estate, now a district of Glonn in Upper Bavaria. Klinglwirt sources beef and pork as well as sausages produced from them.

• Fischerei und Fischzucht Sebald in Ammerland (Münsing) am Starnberger See: Sebald supplies various fish specialities such as hot- and cold-smoked fish from its smokehouse as well as a wide selection of delicatessen salads and other specialities.

• Bio-Hofkäserei Stroblberg: In the farm cheese factory, 25 different types of cheese are produced from raw cow's milk. Non-GMO cheese cultures and rennet, sea salt and purely natural additives such as organic herbs and organic spices are used. The Klinglwirt uses the BioKäse for Brotzeitbrettl (a wooden board with various traditional specialities such as sausage, cheese, ham, vegetables, etc., depending on the season), Käsebrettl (the same as Brotzeitbrettl, but only with a different kind of cheese) and Käseknödel (dumplings with lots of cheese).

• Unser Bio-Ei: The eggs from the Zehatmoarhof come from free-range chickens that are fed with exclusively local and GMO-free feed. Soy, wheat and oats are grown by the farmers themselves. The eggs are used for the award-winning egg liqueur ‘Gack’ or the freshly baked Kaiserschmarrn.

• Organic farm Lenz: Klinglwirt buys potatoes from here, which are grown without chemical growth accelerants and therefore have time to fully develop all valuable ingredients and flavours. The potatoes are used for homemade mashed potatoes.

• Epos Biopartner Süd: The company supplies bulk consumers with high-quality foods from controlled organic farming. The organic sauerkraut that goes with Herrmannsdorfer pork sausages or products such as Rapunzel's organic spelt flour for the cheese spaetzle is ordered from here.

• Munich-based ice cream manufacturer Del Fiore: Instead of the usual use of a standard basic mass, different types of sugar, high-quality proteins and valuable fats are used for each type of ice cream and served at the Klinglwirt.

• Coffee roastery Merchant and Friends: Processes the best organic raw materials into excellent coffee, which is served as an organic espresso (80% Arabica, 20% Edelrobusta).

Challenges of Working with SDG#12 Responsible Consumption and Production

The biggest challenge for Klinglwirt in the context of SDG#12 is to avoid waste in the first place – this is the best solution ecologically. The second step is to recycle, and the last step is to dispose of waste correctly. This is considered in their purchasing behaviour or the menu must be changed to an appropriate extent.

Waste Prevention

Waste prevention is particularly close to Klinglwirt's heart. In a business that is confronted with high hygiene standards, dealing with waste of any kind is considered a major challenge. Packaging material should be avoided wherever possible or reused where this is not possible (SDG#12.2.2, domestic material consumption). The same applies to food waste – an issue that is particularly important in the restaurant sector (SDG#12.5, substantially reduces waste generation). For example, leftover or returned food may not be reused but must be disposed of in accordance with German law. SDG#12.3 (halve global per capita food waste) also plays a major role, as Klinglwirt strives to use the same raw materials for different meals, but without the meal becoming monotonous.

Here are some examples of what Klinglwirt does:

• Fruit, vegetables and eggs are only purchased in wooden crates or reusable containers (which can be returned to the supplier) (cf. Fig. 4)

• As few portion packs as possible for sugar, butter, mustard, ketchup, etc.

• Use of reusable packaging for cleaning agents

• Use of bulk packaging (50kg bag of sugar or flour)

• No use of paper table linen, beer sleeves, plate covers and disposable placemats (instead use cloth napkins, for example)

• Serving of beverages only from taps and reusable bottles

• No use of normal batteries but only rechargeable batteries are to be used

• Use of refillable toner cartridges

• Suppliers take back packaging or use reusable containers

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Fig. 4.

Reusable Container for Eggs.

Waste Recycling

• Use of recycled products (e.g. paper, paper napkins, toilet paper, etc.)

• Use of unbleached tea and coffee filters

• Responsible and clean separation of waste

Klinglwirt does not use public waste disposal companies, but a service provider who sorts, separates, and disposes of the waste. The recycling and disposal of restaurant waste are subject to the Animal By-Products Disposal Act or the Waste Act, depending on its origin and purpose, and are regulated by the German Federal Animal By-Products Disposal Act. In this context, the service provider Klinglwirt hires, acts in accordance with SDG#12.6.1 (companies publishing sustainability reports). On the menu, for example, there are meals such as the ‘Gröstl’ ⁷ for the use of leftovers which can contribute to the achievement of SDG#12.4 which is to reduce waste generation through reuse.

None of the cost-intensive organic produce should be wasted. Likewise, the portions are not supersized, so there are fewer leftovers on the plates that have to be disposed of.

Both on the menu and through the service staff, there is an offer to take leftover portions home in compostable boxes. Klinglwirt also offers a reusable system for to-go meals (using Relevo packaging), which is used by more than half of the guests (see Fig. 5). The aim is to produce as little waste as possible. Background to this is SDG#12.3, which aims to achieve a global halving of food waste per capita in trade and at the consumer level by 2030. It also aims to reduce food waste along the production and supply chain, including post-harvest losses. SDG#12.5 is also affected by this, in order to avoid as much waste as possible, such as coffee cups made of papier-mâché. Relevo offers sustainable reusable-to-go solutions as a pay-per-use system, adapted to the individual needs of restaurants, cafés, company catering, caterers and communal catering (Relevo, 2022). Founded in the spring of 2020, the start-up has since gained partner locations in over 50 German cities and grown to 35 employees in four locations. With the current investment, Relevo plans to further scale its solution and expand in the German-speaking region and beyond. The reusable system in particular plays a key role in waste avoidance: in Germany, for example, reusable packaging will be mandatory from 2023. This means that restaurant businesses will be obliged to offer their takeaway food in reusable packaging. This is intended to contribute to the environment, climate protection and sustainability, especially in cities.

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Fig. 5.

Relevo Reusable System.

The reason is quite simple: every year, almost 350,000 tons of waste are generated for disposable tableware and packaging in the to-go sector. System caterers and snack bars each contribute a third of this tonnage. This short use of to-go packaging has far-reaching consequences not only for the environment but also for cities and communities. To some extent, this is also reflected in the street scene: to-go packaging causes trash cans to overflow or is simply left lying around in the first place. In the meantime, 40% of the street waste in Germany consists of packaging for short consumption. For cities and municipalities, this means 720 million euros a year in costs for cleaning and disposing of disposable packaging waste (Deutsche Umwelthilfe, 2022; GVM Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung mbH, 2018). This is where SDG#12.7 comes in: for example, the German Climate Protection Act regulates a preferential duty for climate-friendly products and services of municipalities. A similar regulation is made with the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act for resource-saving products and services. Mandatory regulations now exist to anchor sustainability aspects in the public sphere. Plastic containers are used for purchases such as eggs. Organic food suppliers use reusable boxes – waste is to be avoided even before delivery (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), 2022).

These approaches, which can certainly be seen as a challenge, are part of Klinglwirt's overall concept. Although they are reflected in the price calculation for food and drinks, it is an important concern for Sonja Obermeier that people with an average salary can also afford a visit to Klinglwirt. She does not want to charge gourmet prices – it is better to have smaller portions, so nothing is wasted.

Business and Greater Good

Klinglwirt's philosophy is the reason why the demand for jobs is quite high, for example in service. That's why Klinglwirt has fewer staffing problems than most other restaurants in Munich, as awareness of sustainability is very widespread, especially among younger people. They apply for positions at Klinglwirt because they like the concept. Therefore, they also sell well because they are convinced of the concept. In the kitchen, this attitude is also gradually being adopted by the kitchen staff. The staff is thrifty in its use of goods and does not treat them wastefully; the attitude is being internalised.

As a matter of principle, Sonja Obermeier donates to Amnesty International, Greenpeace or Doctors Without Borders, for example. For her, this is a matter of conviction. Klinglwirt's staff is international or has an intercultural and/or asylum background. Furthermore, Klinglwirt participates in the Munich regional group of Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie Bayern e.V. (GWÖ). ⁸

Further commitment is difficult for the mother of two children against the background of the time resources. What counts here is the focus on Klinglwirt's core competence – offering guests good regional products and good food at an acceptable price.

What Next for Klinglwirt and SDG#12

The next steps for Klinglwirt are to offer more vegan meals. Currently, the menu features one vegan main course and one vegan dessert. The goal is to offer about a third of the meals as vegan meals. Furthermore, the conversion of several side meals to purely vegetable ingredients, e.g. mashed potatoes, is planned.

Moreover, the corporate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has not yet been overcome at present, is on the agenda. Against the background of the two lockdowns in Bavaria and the associated financial losses, the aim is to generate sufficient reserves again. In addition, Sonja Obermeier would like to build up a second mainstay, which will go in the direction of mentoring sustainable start-ups of restaurants. She sees herself as an ambassador or pioneer in the sense of SDG#12.8 (promote universal understanding of sustainable lifestyles). With her commitment, she thus makes a considerable contribution to raising awareness, especially among future entrepreneurs. Due to her qualifications and experience, she is particularly authentic and trustworthy. Details have not yet been finalised, but she would like to encourage and inspire other people to start up in the restaurant sector. In her opinion, there are too many myths and prejudices about start-ups in the restaurant sector, which she would like to dispel. These include, for example, the permanent presence of the owner to control the employees. Furthermore, one cannot earn money in the restaurant sector that one cannot make a living from it, etc. A first step in this direction is a podcast, in which Sonja Obermeier reports on the founding of the business, her business model and her business philosophy (Gastrogrün – Nachhaltiger Erfolg für Restaurants und Cafés). Even though the Klinglwirt is facing many challenges – for example, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of skilled workers, especially in the restaurant sector, and the impending energy crisis due to the Ukraine war – this is no excuse for the family business.

Sonja Obermeier and her team are aware of the importance of the SDGs in general and SDG#12 in particular for the business: environmentally friendly handling of all waste is to be achieved. Waste production is to be significantly reduced through recycling. Food waste is to be reduced and sustainable management is to be practised. The climate impact should be kept as low as possible. Even if some of the SDG#12 targets have not yet been addressed or fully implemented, the Klinglwirt is considered a benchmark in the Munich restaurant sector and should be an example to other restaurants.