Interview with Daniel Frei
Co-founder of tibits gives a look behind the scenes
In 2000, the brothers Daniel, Reto and Christian Frei founded “tibits” together with the Hiltl family, the operators of the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world. Today, “tibits” has twelve locations in Switzerland and Germany.
What makes “tibits” different from other restaurants?
We have dedicated ourselves entirely to delicious vegetarian and plant-based cuisine. In the morning we serve a delicious breakfast buffet, and at lunchtime and in the evening over 40 freshly prepared salads, hot dishes and desserts from the tibits buffet. We offer a wide range of drinks with freshly squeezed juices, homemade iced teas and lemonades, local beer and selected wines. Freshly prepared on site and everything is also available to take away.
What is the secret of your success?
We have remained true to our values (joie de vivre, trust, progressiveness, time) for over 20 years. And we have always put people at the center: our guests, whom we want to delight, and our great team. At “tibits”, we are a family that looks after each other. We are also motivated by the fact that we make a positive contribution to a better world every day, because a vegetarian and plant-based diet has many positive effects on people, animals and the environment.
How is “tibits” doing at the moment?
The last few months and years have been a great challenge. Not only from an economic point of view. It has also been an extreme mental strain for us as a team. For months, we had no real perspective. We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have a strong team, for which we are very grateful. Our motto for 2022 is “Now more than ever”. We want to come out of the pandemic stronger together.
Were you brave when you founded “tibits”?
Yes, over 20 years ago, vegetarians were “behaviorally conspicuous”. Vegetarian and vegan was more of a dirty word back then. Fortunately, this has changed. We have managed to get vegetarian cuisine out of the grain corner. Our commitment has certainly helped to pave the way for a plant-based diet in Switzerland. Today, vegan nutrition is in vogue. Numerous new products are coming onto the market. Unfortunately, not all of them deliver what they promise. At “tibits” we have high standards for food and products - they should not only be plant-based, but also healthy and delicious.
Are you now adapting the same buffet concept at different locations?
Progressiveness is one of our four values and we live by the “kaizen” principle of improving in small steps every day. Over the years, our range has constantly evolved. In the beginning, we only had around 15 different dishes on offer, today we have over 40. We put our heart and soul into developing new dishes, both internally and together with our partners. This results in innovative products such as our plant-based bratwurst, which we developed for the opening of “tibits” St. Gallen.
What else would you like to achieve?
As a family business, we want to further perfect our “holistic sustainability” approach. This means that we want to make a positive contribution both externally - i.e. for society and the environment - and internally for our “tibits” team and our partners. And make the world a little bit better. That makes sense and is very motivating! Where is the focus? On the topic of enjoyable and healthy nutrition. In and as “tibits”, we want to and can offer our guests help and expertise in this area. During the pandemic, society has become even more aware of how important a healthy and balanced diet is.
Daniel Frei's tip:
Enjoy the far-reaching views of the mountains and Lake Constance on the hike from Jakobsbad via Scheidegg to Kronberg.
How to get there: take the Voralpen-Express to Herisau and the Appenzeller Bahnen to Jakobsbad.
