News Fred Tschanz
We are celebrating our 60th anniversary: a perfect time for a look into our past and a glimpse of the future.
Fred Tschanz laid the foundation for our company in 1962 when he founded a management company for catering businesses. He quickly made a name for himself in the industry with his hospitality and entrepreneurial spirit, at times managing as many as 12 establishments in his hometown of Zurich. In December 2012, we sadly had to say goodbye to Fred Tschanz. However, we proudly carry on his core values and sense of social responsibility every day as a family business.
At the tender age of 27, Stéphanie Portmann followed in her grandfather's footsteps after his death. She mastered the leap into the deep end in exemplary fashion and established herself as a young woman in Zurich's hospitality industry. Her recipe for success: she combines Fred Tschanz's mission statement with her own innovative ideas. Today, she is mainly concerned with strategic decisions - operational management as CEO is the responsibility of her husband Domenic Zembrod. "We both do what suits us best - the whole company benefits from this," she says, explaining this division.
At Fred Tschanz, the following applies - in the past as well as today: We are firmly anchored in Zurich and run our businesses with heart and mind. These values are reflected in our businesses. The legendary ODEON or the Walhalla Hotel including Guest House directly at Zurich Main Station were already important cornerstones of the company under Fred Tschanz's leadership. The Dining Experience The5 , the Alpine Rooms by Leoneck as well as the legendary Fonduetram have been added under the management of Stéphanie Portmann and Domenic Zembrod. A project close to our hearts that spans generations is the Fred Tschanz Foundation for Children and Young People, with which we have been assuming social responsibility for 25 years.
Stéphanie Portmann and Domenic Zembrod are parents of three children themselves. "Whether they will take over the management of Fred Tschanz Gastgewerbe as the next generation, however, is still written in the stars," smiles Stéphanie. Before that, there is still a lot to do anyway. For example, the current focus of the management team lies squarely on the digitization of various processes in the day-to-day operations of the businesses. A first step in this direction was the conversion of the "Alpine Rooms by Leoneck" to a hotel operation with self-check-in. All reception tasks are handled completely digitally via an app. "A successful trial that motivates us to take further steps towards the hotel industry of the future," summarizes Stéphanie Portmann. We are looking forward to it!