Cârciuma din Bătrâni – 20 years of hospitality in the Village Museum

Blog
03.02.2020
Cârciuma din Bătrâni – 20 years of hospitality in the Village Museum
03.02.2020

The restaurant Cârciuma din Bătrâni is a place of tradition in Sibiu and is located in a place so very dear to the people of Sibiu: the Village Museum. Built as early as 1850, the restaurant bears the marks of history and offers its visitors an unique experience in the heart of the largest and most spectacular open-air museum in Europe. Next, we invite you to discover the story of the restaurant from the conversation we had with Mr. Constantin Teodorescu.

1. Hello, Mr. Teodorescu. Thank you for welcoming us so warmly. Please tell us, how were the beginnings of the Cârciuma din Bătrâni restaurant?
Hello and welcome. It has been 20 years since the Cârciuma din Bătrâni receives guests in the Astra Museum in Sibiu. First, we had a similar restaurant in the Vasile Aaron neighborhood, on the ground floor of an apartment building, and in 2000 we moved here, in the middle of nature.

2. The restaurant has a special location in Sibiu. What's the story behind it?
At the beginning of 2000, while I already had a business that was doing well in Sibiu, I found out that there would be an auction for this location. Before, there were other restaurants here, but nothing stable, they kept changing. There were three or four participants in that auction, we also gave it a shot and got the location. For a while I had both places, and after a short period of time I kept only the one here.



3. Where did this formidable passion for supporting a quality restaurant start for you?
I have always appreciated quality services, good food and I have always liked to socialize, meet people and invite them to share a meal. These were also the foundations of this business in the HORECA industry. Lately I have slowly retired from the business and my two sons remain in charge. It's still a family business, we often consult, but I don't want to undermine their authority. I did my job and now I'm sure I left the business in good hands.

4. What do you think about the Romanian restaurant market? What other restaurants do you like and always visit with pleasure in Sibiu/Romania?
There are several restaurants where I have felt great over the years. Being in the industry, I analyzed some of them more closely, but I prefer not to mention them by name. I think things differ depending on the specifics of a restaurant, its location and many other things. Personally, I think that there is always room for everyone if you are a serious person and the client is the most important thing for you.
5. How important is service (mainly waiters) in a restaurant? What is the restaurant’s policy in respect to services?
The service is the most important, both for our place and for any other restaurant. People seek to be welcomed with a smile, to be served properly, the food to come out on time. We have been working with the same people since we opened, and if you are loyal to people, they also remain loyal. We pay attention to rewarding them properly, in February everyone gets a vacation.

6. Cârciuma din Bătrâni is a beautiful, traditional place, where people can eat or have a coffee between walks in the Village Museum. Is the location a plus for the restaurant?
The location is definitely a plus for the restaurant „Cârciuma din Bătrâni”. We enjoy an unique environment in the city and even in Romania, it’s quiet, we have fresh air, traditional houses, in summer we enjoy the colorful flowers and the chirping of birds. And if we appreciate all these things, surely customers appreciate them, too.

7. Have there been many changes to the menu of the restaurant over the years? Speaking of food, what is the house special at Cârciuma din Bătrâni? What do people order over and over again?
We didn't make too many changes to the menu. I have always wanted the food to be 100% traditional Romanian, and the recipes to be as similar as possible to the original ones. All dishes are tasty, cold appetizers, hot ones, desserts. I couldn’t say that we have a house special.

8. I know that you also organize private events, weddings, baptisms, anniversaries. Is there demand in this sector as well?
Yes, that's right, we organize events for people who want to celebrate a wedding, a baptism or an anniversary in an unique environment. We also have a place further up in the museum, towards Rășinari. There we can host smaller, more intimate parties, with a capacity of 80 people. At Cârciuma din Bătrâni we can accommodate 300 people.

9. What was the day (in the history of the restaurant) that left the most beautiful mark in your mind? Maybe a special guest or a special day?
There are many, many beautiful memories. It wouldn't be fair to name one in particular. All the celebrities from Sibiu have visited us at least once and all the foreigners who pass through the city make a stop for a glass of „țuică” (schnapps) here.

10. Finally, please tell us, what does Cârciuma din Bătrâni mean for Sibiu?
Cârciuma din Bătrâni is definitely a landmark, both for the people of Sibiu and for those outside the city.
Photo credits: Adrian Murgea - Photography, google.ro