Critic acclaimed and winner of Top Chef, Paul Wieder will still have to retire. Here's what has happened to his restaurant in recent months.
The news
News that has shaken the restaurant world: the restaurant “s'Paul” in Traunkirchen am Traunsee, a gem recently awarded three hats by the prestigious Gault&Millau guide, is forced to close. The reason is financial bankruptcy that has overwhelmed its owner, chef Paul Wieder, winner of “Top Chef Austria 2024.” The news was reported by the Rolling Pin website. According to documents filed with the Regional Court of Wels, Wieder, the sole shareholder of Paul Restaurant GmbH, has filed for bankruptcy, putting the future of five employees and one intern at risk.
The crisis is the result of an ambitious but unfortunate decision: in November 2019, Paul Wieder opened his first restaurant, “s'Paul.” Five years later, buoyed by his success, he decided to expand by acquiring a second restaurant, “Die Stube im Maximilianhof” in Altmünster. Renamed “Die Stube by Paul Wieder,” the new restaurant did not live up to expectations, however, with fewer customers than anticipated. To complicate matters, the difficulty in finding qualified staff led to the restaurant's closure at the end of April 2025.
Despite investing €70,000 to try to cover costs, the accumulated debts—including rent arrears and August salaries, which the chef was unable to pay—made the situation unsustainable. The company was declared insolvent by Creditreform. Paul Wieder confirmed that he does not intend to restructure the business and has accepted the permanent closure of his restaurant.
