Jungfrau Railways is pursuing the goal of integrating catering within its Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe business field with the independent catering companies on the Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch. The Board of Directors of Jungfraubahn Holding AG and Berner Oberland-Bahnen AG therefore decided to appoint a Head of Catering in early July 2017. Reto Mettler was selected. He is also a member of the extended management.
From 1 August 2017 onwards, Reto Mettler will be in charge of implementing the new catering strategy at Jungfrau Railways. To this end, Jungfrau Railways is taking over the operation as well as the entire staff of the station buffet on the Kleine Scheidegg from the long-time tenants, the Schärer family, at the end of October 2017, and it will make the appropriate restaurant preparations for the winter season. Reopening will take place on 1 December 2017. As a next step, Jungfrau Railways will run the glacier restaurants on the Jungfraujoch and the Eiger glacier directly starting in December 2019. The other operations of the railway company will be leased as before. Reto Mettler, who plays a coordinating role, will be the contact person for all tenants.
Reto Mettler has many years of experience as a restaurateur and in the management of numerous restaurants. The Swiss certified Hotelier-Restaurateur and trained cook began his professional career as head of service at the Berghotel Schwägalp of Säntis-Schwebebahn AG, where he was already head of catering by 1996. Entrusted with the Jungfrau Region, he became Managing Director of the Restaurant Schuh in Interlaken. Mettler was subsequently involved in various management functions in community catering and continued to lead the company. In 2009, he successfully graduated as a Master of Business Administration. Most recently, Reto Mettler joined the Compass-Group (Switzerland) AG as Head of Operations, where he was a member of the Executive Board. Reto Mettler is 50 years old and has two children.
Strategic reorientation
After more than a quarter of a century, the catering operation of the Schärer family at the Kleine Scheidegg station buffet is coming to an end. The leasing agreement has been terminated by mutual agreement on the basis of a reorientation of Jungfrau Railways' catering as of 31 October 2017. In the medium term, the Jungfrau Railway Group is following the strategy of developing in the direction of an integrated leisure and service company. In the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe business segment, the catering will be gradually integrated by the end of 2019 with the independent restaurant companies on Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch. This constitutes a central component in the value chain of tourist excursions.
