Born into modest circumstances in 1929, Fred Tschanz achieved a storybook "dishwasher-to-success" career. Although he aspired to become a concert pianist, he chose to attend the Lausanne Hotel Management School instead. He covered the financial expenses himself with part-time jobs, as his mother refused to accept scholarships.
After twelve years of various international stays, the now-experienced restaurateur returned to Switzerland from the USA in 1962, full of ideas. Here, he founded a management company for catering establishments and married the young Frenchwoman Gilberte Commaille, with whom he had two daughters: Gilberte and Jacqueline Tschanz. Later, he was married three more times, with his last marriage in 2007.
At times, up to twelve bars, hotels, and restaurants were managed by him and his team. His gastronomic career included not only successes but also failures. However, Fred Tschanz always bounced back, living by the motto "After the rain comes the sunshine, after the tears comes laughter."
Fred Tschanz was a bon vivant and passionate lover of music, culture, and culinary delights of all kinds. He also often surrounded himself with beautiful women, was an avid hunter and art collector: his own art gallery opened when his was over 80 years old.
The following establishments, part of Fred Tschanz's legacy, still shape Zurich's culture today:
In December 2012, Fred Tschanz peacefully passed away after 83 eventful years. However, the traces of the strong-willed patron will remain visible in various places for a long time.
Since 2013, the family business has been led by Fred Tschanz’s granddaughter, Stéphanie Portmann.
She gained her first experiences in the business at 17 years old as a service employee. Even during her sociology and economics studies at the University of Bern, Stéphanie helped out at the Bauschänzli garden restaurant during the summer months. After graduating from university, she attended the Belvoirpark Hotel Management School and subsequently became the deputy manager of Bauschänzli, taking over its management a year later.
Today, Stéphanie Portmann runs the family business with her husband, Domenic Zembrod, and is very grateful to her role model and grandfather, Fred Tschanz, for all the wisdom he imparted to her.
The young generation completed the legacy in 2023 with the acquisition of the Hotel Zürcherhof on Zähringerstrasse in Niederdorf, which has also been operated by the Fred Tschanz Group since 2024. Today, around 100 employees work in the four hotels and one restaurant.