"Think it over", her mother always said, but for sandra aumuller the decision was made five years ago: "i'm taking over the wallburg". The hotel and inn thus remained in the family and found a new lease of life, because sandra aumuller obviously has the "host gene", that certain something without which one is lost in gastronomy.
Many guesthouses and pubs change tenants every few years, and more and more of them are permanently vacant – also in eltmann. A few houses, however, have uninterrupted influx, whether it is festive season or economic crisis. What is the reason? Sandra aumuller cradles her head: "guests must feel comfortable and welcome". In order to have this feeling, the host must also have a special charisma.
"Who makes gastronomy, has little free time and private life", female mother gaby aumuller. Whoever does not accept this is wrong in the industry, because the guest feels that. And the lifeblood is also visible: in the ambience, on the menu, in the many little things. This is how the hotel guest in the "wallburg" at the fruhstuck not only smiled at by the friendly ladies serving the coffee, no, also the fruhstuck eggs are lovingly painted.
The store was running
Gaby Aumuller had the "wallburg" taken over from her mother. Her husband erich, who is actually a construction worker, stood in the kitchen – and the store was. The hotel has 25 beds, and the occupancy rate of 75 percent is far above the average for french accommodation establishments. Many regular guests are present. Vacation guests, but also business travelers who book with the aumullers during their stays in france.
With all love to the enterprise gaby and erich aumuller wanted to sit down years ago then nevertheless slowly to the rest. They leased out the business, but that did not work out as planned. But they couldn't bear to see their life's work standing empty, so they got back into the business themselves – and then they were surprised by their daughter.
Sandra Aumuller trained as a hotelier, first in bad kissingen, then at the bayerischer hof in munich, at the residenzschloss in bamberg, and in various hotels in frankfurt. But in the meantime she was already one step ahead: in the administration of the hotel chain "best western".
Decision after a vacation at home
Her parents had no idea that "i was at a point where i wanted to do something else again", tells sandra aumuller. After a vacation at home in may 2008, it was clear to them relatively quickly: "why not return to eltmann?? It's all there, someone just has to get on with it."
father erich aumuller remembers it well: "dad, i'm taking over the business, but i'm going to do some remodeling right away", they have explained. Then gabby and erich aumuller decided to give their daughter a free hand. Walls were torn down, a new guest room was created with a new ambience, and a year later the kitchen was "completely overhauled" and the beer garden got a new face.
Sandra's brother markus was also infected by the new enthusiasm. Actually, he had nothing to do with the business. Today, like his father before him, he rules the kitchen. Together they have their first apprentice patrick kajcic as a "specialist in the hospitality industry, specializing in kitchen" trained and subsequently kept busy. "I have a great team", sandra aumuller is pleased. Four full-time employees and ten temporary staff, plus her father as "janitor" and the mom "for the warm", they are "the wallis. As a team, they go on a training course now and then, but also go on excursions together.
Celebrating
The aumullers like to celebrate – preferably with their guests, as they say. Many inns find it difficult to compete with the many festivals, especially in franconia. Sandra aumuller holds against it, invites to the oktoberfest, to the carnival evening or to a beer garden revelation. "You have to woo guests, she says – and the wooed ones like to come to her again, she says.
The regulars as "sample eaters
This is the "wallburg not only a popular restaurant on weekends, but also very busy on weekdays, according to sandra aumuller. "Women go out more often today than they did in the past," says, gaby aumuller states. "At the "sandra the ladies from the women's choir, the "wellness snails," meet again and the "hum und drum vom maa" hiking club. Then they also had to act as "test eaters" when markus aumuller and his team try out something new in the kitchen with nadja, anka, and patrick. If it tastes good, it's on the menu.
Eltmann's mayor michael ziegler (CSU) is also one of the regular guests. He is pleased that sandra aumuller has returned to her hometown, because especially a small town like eltmann lives from an attractive and diverse gastronomy – for the guests from auswarts, but also for the eltmanners themselves.