On the first days of the new year, the guests were served chili con carne, vegetarian cevapcici and schnitzel with fried potatoes – served by the familiar faces, here in the “Alcohol-free Treff” on Dachauer Straße. The fact that this only facility of its kind in the city is threatened with closure, that the Club 29 association has already terminated its employees, and that a dispute with the landlord, the Caritas Association of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, continues to rage behind the scenes – there was hardly any of this sense.
And yet the alcohol-free restaurant, which is also a contact point for addicts, still fears for its future. Because Caritas had terminated the rental agreement of the operator of the facility, Club 29, at the end of 2023. The background is the poor condition of the building, which urgently needs to be renovated, says a spokeswoman for the association. According to her, Caritas had already announced the renovation plans in summer 2022. As a result, a number of discussions were held with representatives of Club 29 “in order to find a good solution for both sides.” An agreement alone was not reached.
However, on the part of the association, which in addition to the “alcohol-free meeting” also runs a meeting place for addicts and offers more than a dozen self-help groups, people have a completely different view of things. They are convinced that the agreement with Caritas guarantees Club 29 the option of a five-year extension of the rental agreement. Which would mean: The termination was not legal. And yet the club was preparing for the possible closure of the alcohol-free restaurant, which employs twelve people, all of whom were alcohol addicts themselves. Georg Grau, then managing director of Club 29, reported in December that all employment contracts were terminated. However, these terminations were then reversed.
The board subsequently discussed how to proceed. In the end, it was unanimously decided “that we would maintain the offer,” says Peter Knoll. Ultimately, the “alcohol-free meeting” is also “necessary for survival” for the self-help groups that meet on the first floor of the building. The meeting point will still be open after the end of 2023. Peter Knoll has been the new managing director of Club 29 since mid-December. He emphasizes that the club is currently in “intensive discussions” with Caritas. He did not want to comment on their content or possible disputes.
A sticking point, however, is likely to be the question of the kitchen in the restaurant, which is open Monday to Friday and on Sunday. It is outdated and urgently needs to be renewed, emphasizes Peter Knoll. The city council has already approved the necessary funds of around 140,000 euros. However, the money should only flow when Club 29 has a long-term rental agreement – and this is exactly where Caritas is not involved. Because she doesn’t consider installing a new kitchen to be “useful” at this point in time, says the spokeswoman with a view to the renovation plans. According to her, Caritas had offered Club 29 to extend the rental agreement by three years before the termination, with the price per square meter remaining the same. “The area could be used purely as a meeting place,” says the spokeswoman – a suggestion that Club 29 doesn’t think much of.
“The alcohol-free meeting with its current concept is indispensable as a low-threshold offer,” says Peter Knoll. “We experience week after week that people suffering from addiction come here, eat something and talk to people.” This is not only easier because the employees themselves have a background of addiction. In the “alcohol-free meeting place”, which was founded in 1988 under the name “Zum Steg”, an educational specialist is always present as a contact person. “The restaurant is one of the most important entry points to us for people suffering from addiction,” says Peter Knoll. He now hopes that the negotiations with Caritas will lead to a solution – “without it leading to a legal dispute”.