On September 26, 2020, 3 years ago, Akram's Eching opened its doors to the public. As a thank you for the excellent hospitality provided to the boarding house, Eching and the region - even during the pandemic - Herbert Krimmer handed over a bouquet of flowers and the "golden gourmet spoon" to operator Mohammad Akram to mark the anniversary.

We look forward to the next 3 years and wish our tenant and his team all the best for the future!

Interview with Akram

We had some time to talk to Mohammad Akram about his experiences in the past 3 years.

Looking back, what was the main reason why you accepted our offer to open a restaurant in Eching?
Akram: I hadn't actually planned to open another restaurant. However, when an employee of a brewery informed me that someone was looking for an operator in Eching and showed me a sketch of the building, my interest was sparked - I really liked the unusual architecture. After a visit to Eching, I realized that the location wasn't ideal and that there wouldn't be many walk-in customers, but I was still confident because I believe that quality will prevail sooner or later. After further visits to Eching and several positive conversations, I was looking forward to the new challenge.

How satisfied are you with the development of your restaurant since it opened?
Akram: Very satisfied - despite some difficult months during the pandemic.

Were there any other initial difficulties besides the pandemic?
Akram: Finding employees was one of the biggest problems. The search for a chef in particular took a long time. A chef I knew from Dubai was not allowed to enter the country for a long time. For around 1.5 years, I was often the only chef in the kitchen and could only rarely visit my family in Garmisch. However, I am an optimist. Every problem solves itself at some point and every pandemic passes eventually - that was already the case in the Middle Ages.

You operate another restaurant in Garmisch. What are the differences?
Akram: Garmisch is a "cosmopolitan town". Guests are simply there. In Eching, guests have to be won over first. We also have a menu in Garmisch especially for Arabic guests. They often live in Innsbruck or Munich and only come to Garmisch to eat.
Article in Süddeutsche Zeitung

Have you been able to win regular customers?
Akram: Yes - about 50% of my guests come regularly.

What was your funniest or most remarkable experience in Eching?
Akram: Hmmm ….
Jenny (Service): Well, I can think of something straight away: we once had to rescue a lady from a blind date. She called us from the toilet, asking us to "rescue" her. We then called her back a little later and played the overburdened babysitter in a loud, excited tone. She then promptly said goodbye and was able to breathe a sigh of relief as she left the restaurant.

Looking back

In Eching's recent history, the 2019/20 boarding house extension was undoubtedly one of the more controversial construction projects. It was preceded by years of discussions in the municipal council. Residents expressed concerns and objections, and even the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported multiple times. After around 3 years and major adjustments to the project, permission was granted and then things moved very quickly - an old commercial hall gave way for 77 apartments and a restaurant.

It is rather unusual to find the word evtl. (possibly) on a construction panel. Generally speaking, developers should know what they are building beforehand! However, the only thing that was clear at the start of construction was that boarding house guests should be offered a culinary option on site, but an operator had not yet been found, so the final use of the building was still open. Due to the somewhat hidden location outside the center, the choice fell on an eye-catching façade and so things just got started.

But where to find a suitable operator? Initially, the search was unsuccessful until someone happened to know someone who worked at a brewery, who in turn knew someone whom he approached to see if there was any interest.

Mohammad Akram - Eröffnung Akram's Eching 2020
Bild: Irena Hirschmann in der Echinger Rundschau

And so, on 24.09.2020, we were able to officially welcome Mr. Mohammad Akram as the new operator of the restaurant during a trial meal in Eching. Two days later, the restaurant opened its doors to the general public and has been very well received ever since.

About Akram

Mohammad Akram was born in Punjab (Pakistan) and worked as a chef in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Islamabad, Karachi, Barcelona and Munich before taking over the kitchen management of the newly opened Sonnalpin glacier restaurant on the Zugspitze in 2007.

In addition to his work in the show kitchen on Germany's highest peak, Akram also gave cooking courses and wrote a cookbook, which is on display in the restaurant. Many of his former guests therefore simply refer to him as the "Zugspitz chef".

Today, Akram commutes between Eching and Garmisch, where he lives with his family and runs another restaurant. If he is not in the kitchen preparing the dishes himself, this job is taken over by chefs who are privy to Akram's kitchen secrets.

Mehr über Akram:
| Merkur – Akram übernimmt Alpenhof in Garmisch
| Merkur – Zu Gast beim Gipfel-Zauberer
| lifePR – Der Gipfel der Genüsse
| hotel-zentrale.de – Von Bunjab nach Bayern auf die Zugspitze
| Glassonweb – Boarding house with laser show