I am deeply interested in the continuum of Hiltl history from Mr. Ambrosius Hiltl to Mrs. Margarith Hiltl to Mr. Rolf Hiltl and beyond.  What philosophies or traits separate these 3 eras and what connects them?  What single dish would exemplify each era and why?

The unifying element of the four Hiltl generations is the passion for healthy indulgence, vegetarian and vegan nutrition, and the spirit of innovation. Each of the four generations tried to be ahead of the times. One difference between the generations, for example, is that the first three Hiltl generations did not serve alcohol, which changed with the fourth generation. In addition, the company has grown considerably over the years – today we operate eight restaurants, the Hiltl Vegimetzg with the first vegetarian butchery in Switzerland, and the Hiltl Academy, our competence center for healthy indulgence.It is very difficult to assign a specific dish to the individual generations, as the wide offer in our restaurants is a central element. But one can say, for example, that the second generation brought Indian cuisine to Hiltl and thus to Switzerland. Today, our offering is a journey through the countries of the world, with a focus on traditional Swiss dishes as well.

Ambrosius Hiltl faced adversity against “grazers” when he started; how did he eventually thrive?  What challenges does Rolf Hiltl face today and how is his brilliant innovative mind creating solutions for them?

More than 120 years ago, the vegetarian diet was not very widespread in Switzerland. In addition, Swiss cuisine contains a lot of meat, cream, cheese, eggs and milk. For this reason, the vegetarian or vegan diet is also not historically anchored in Switzerland. A good 120 years ago, mainly people who had health problems ate a vegetarian diet. Today this is different and we benefit a lot from the development that society is making. Today, many more people pay attention to a balanced and healthy diet and this includes a lot of vegetarian and vegan food. The challenge today is much more that the culinary offer is much bigger and the competition of vegetarian and vegan restaurants is increasing strongly. So, as a traditional company, we always have to stay on the ball, recognize trends early or create them ourselves. For example, we have our own recipe development department, which looks at new innovative dishes and drinks every day in order to expand and adapt our range.

Speaking of challenges Covid-19 has devastated many lives, how has Hiltl pivoted its business to face this difficult time?

With its long corporate history, Hiltl has already survived two world wars – but Covid-19 will probably be the event that has had the greatest impact on the company so far. Since March 2020, we have had to close our restaurants twice for several months and have only been able to delight our guests to a very limited extent. However, this situation has also driven our innovation. For example, we launched online cooking courses with the Hiltl Academy, where we cook and enjoy via live stream. We have also expanded our web store so that our guests can order many products conveniently at home. Administratively, we have also made a lot of progress in the direction of digitalization, and we can now handle most of the administrative tasks from our home office.

Looking to the future I know the Hiltl brand continues its brand expansion and has formed partnerships such as with Tibits.  What does Mr. Rolf Hiltl think is the future beyond Covid and “healthy indulgence”? Any plans to open branches outside Switzerland?

Hiltl has grown strongly in Zurich in recent years. We have also expanded and deepened partnerships with SWISS International Airlines, tibits, planten, and others. We suspect that the awareness for healthy and thus also vegetarian and vegan nutrition will be even more pronounced after Covid-19. People want to do something good for themselves and their bodies, do more sports and eat more consciously. Therefore, we are very happy to be able to open our restaurants again soon as usual and to inspire our guests with healthy enjoyment.
We keep receiving inquiries from abroad about opening a restaurant in this location, but so far we have made a conscious decision to stay in Zurich. But who knows what the future will bring. Never say never.

The continuous rich journey of family businesses is fascinating.  Any interest yet in the young minds of Celine, Lena, and Teo-the 5th generation?

It is really very nice when a company can be run by one family over generations. That is why it is also a wish that Hiltl will continue to be run by the 5th generation. Céline, Rolf Hiltl’s eldest daughter, is already working in the company. However, Céline, Léna and Téo are free to decide whether they want to join the family business or go their own way