Sausalitos closes branches in Bavaria: 33 locations already tight!

Sausalitos closes branches in Bavaria: 33 locations already tight!

Pasing, Deutschland - The popular restaurant and cocktail bar Sausalitos has suffered a heavy blow and faces profound changes. In March 2025, an bankruptcy request was submitted, which is not exactly ideal in the middle of the tourist high season. For a long time, the company with its Mexican-American dishes and cocktails was a popular starting point, but the latest developments are now throwing dark shadows on the future of the brand. According to Merkur Sausalitos closes numerous locations in Germany. If 46 branches were still counted in early January 2024, there are currently only 17 in Bavaria. There are currently six remaining locations in Bavaria, three of them in Munich: Pasing, Sonnenstrasse and Valley. Branches are also still represented in Augsburg, Nuremberg and Regensburg.

Particularly sad news reaches the catering scene from Passau and Landshut, where the branches had to close permanently. These decisions were announced via the Instagram pages of the respective Restaurants. At the moment it is unclear whether there are further closures in Bavaria. It remains uncertain how things will continue with the employees of the closed locations. So far, the company has not been available for more information.

causes of the crisis

What are the reasons for this creeping decline? Nachrichten/bayern/sausalitos-ist-fleit-gastrokette-stolven-stolven-stezlage ,ufupihc"> BR states that the decline in the number of guest in connection with corona pandemic and a long-lasting economic weakness is in Germany. The preliminary insolvency administrator, Michael Schuster, is now trying to maintain the operation and actively looks for an investor who could bring fresh capital into the chain.

Another challenge was the changed behavior of customers, who, according to the lockdowns, often hesitated to go to restaurants. The introduction of regulations such as mask obligation also caused fewer guests. The reduced VAT, which was temporarily reduced to 16%, cannot compensate for the failures, since the regular sentence of 19% applies again from January 1, 2024. The sales level of many restaurateurs in Germany still no longer reach the values of before pandemic.

A look into the future

For the Sausalitos Group, this is a drastic cut. The murdery of the income not only burdened the operation of the chain, but also affected more than 1,000 employees. However, these are secured by bankruptcy money by the end of May, which at least offers a little relief in the current situation. Franchisee operated locations are not directly affected by bankruptcy, which could bring hope for some companies.

The story of Sausalitos, which began in Ingolstadt in 1994, is thus overshadowed by an uncertain fate. Company founder Thomas Hirschberger opened the first restaurant and sold the chain to investors in 2014. At that time, the chain still seemed firmly established and very popular, now it is fighting for survival. It remains to be seen whether Sausalitos from this crisis can emerge, but it is clear that it is a bad awakening for many fans of the chain.