Rico's" in Küsnacht ZH, one of Switzerland's top restaurants, is also feeling the effects of the World Cycling Championships: for the first time, it was closed at lunchtime as the well-heeled regulars fled from the cyclists.
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- Businesses around the routes of the World Cycling Championships in Zurich are suffering these days and many small businesses have been forced to close.
- Even the gourmet restaurant "Rico's", which is famous throughout Switzerland, is feeling the effects of the World Cycling Championships and remained closed over lunchtime. Patron and chef Rico Zandonella: "In the 43 years I've been here, we've never had to temporarily close the restaurant for lunch."
- The reason? The well-heeled regulars are missing. Most of them have fled to their second homes in St. Moritz, Zermatt or St-Tropez.
"Rico Zandonella, the cheerful Ticino native, is an excellent chef, a trendsetter (..) and quite ambitious," wrote "Gault Millau" a few years ago. The restaurant guide that has been awarding 18 points to the gourmet restaurant Rico's in Küsnacht ZH for years.
Zandonella has been cooking in Küsnacht since 1981, until 2011 under his boss and patron Horst Petermann ("Petermanns Kunststuben"), since then as patron. This weekend, "Rico's" remained closed over lunchtime. "In the 43 years I've been here, it's never happened before that we temporarily close the restaurant for lunch," says Zandonella.
The reason is the World Cycling Championships in Zurich, the route of which runs right past his restaurant. Seestrasse is closed for days at a time, and so is the access road to his restaurant.
Like his customers, Zandonella is not a cycling fan
Why is "Rico's" closed? It would be easy to reach on foot. Zandonella smiles and says: "My regular customers fled the World Cycling Championships and flew out these days. They are spending the eight days of the World Championships in their second homes." His regular customers, who for years included Tina Turner († May 24, 2023), have retreated to second residences in St. Moritz or St-Tropez.
The Swiss Chef of the Year 2017 takes it easy. "I have no reason to complain. Things are going well in the evenings these days too. Other businesses have been hit much harder."
He himself is not a cycling fan, says Zandonella, although regular cycling would certainly do him good. Nevertheless, the top chef takes care of his health. No alcohol, no nicotine and a healthy start to the day. "I always drink a glass of lemon water in the morning, then I go to the gym and afterwards I have a protein shake with a banana."