Alcohol and Drugs in Hospitality
“We forgot the drugs… and the booze too!” — that’s how a call from Billy to our resident philosopher began earlier this year. We laughed, because he was right. For all the times you’ve read about Nobelhart & Schmutzig — every other thousand words we drop a Berghain reference or come up with more unhinged euphemisms for getting wasted at our long counter — our Guide of Conduct was missing the most obvious thing.
Not a word about alcohol. Not a word about drugs. In a city like Berlin, in a line of work like ours. With estimates suggesting that roughly one in seven people in Germany consume alcohol at problematic levels. A blind spot: for us, and for society at large also
So, a good reason to take it on. Because at its core, our Guide of Conduct is about exactly that: how to build a workplace in hospitality that’s values-driven and grounded in shared responsibility. (It’s also part of the reason we were honoured with the Sustainability Award at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024.)
And yes, it’s a complicated subject. On the one hand, it’s surrounded by taboo; on the other, our industry swims in alcohol. In some roles — sommeliers, for instance — drinking is literally part of the job. At the same time, we have to ask ourselves as an employer: which problems are individual, and which are systemic? Are alcohol and drugs symptoms of an overworked, overstressed environment, meaning that change, at least partly, has to start with us? But equally: where does care end, and overreach begin?
One thing was clear to us: we wanted to bring this topic out of the shadows. Our response, as always, isn’t a rigid rulebook but an invitation — to reflection, to conversation, to a bit of collective soul-searching, individually, within the team, and across the industry.
At the heart of it — as in everything we do — lies our wish for people to make conscious choices. People will consume alcohol and drugs; that’s just a fact of life. But while we take our responsibility as an employer seriously, we also expect that adults take responsibility for themselves and for each other.
That’s why we’ve set a few clear boundaries.
Example 1: We understand that people go out, party, and occasionally indulge. That’s fine. What’s not fine is calling in sick after too much Sisyphos or Berghain — leaving your colleagues to give up their day off and cover your shift. Or showing up still halfway gone and putting yourself or others at risk.
Example 2: As a matter of principle, we don’t drink with guests. Not because we’re killjoys, but because our role is different. We create the space where others eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. For that, we have to stay clear-headed. The best compliment you can give us isn’t a shared shot, but a tip. We’re here so you can let go — just like we ourselves like to do, once we’re off the clock.
And then there’s the most sensitive question of all: what happens when someone on the team is drinking too much?
The threshold to talk about it is high — understandably. That’s why we set it up so that such cases can be addressed directly with our external confidential contact. They’re bound by confidentiality (yes, even towards management) and help us find supportive, non-stigmatising ways to deal with it.
Why all this? Because we believe these things need to be talked about — especially when it gets tricky and when it might be easier to look away. Because we’re convinced that a hospitality culture that’s good for its people will always create a better experience for its guests. We know we won’t always get it right. But that’s not the point. The point is to look, to talk, to learn, and to keep getting better — together.
And that’s exactly what our Guide of Conduct is for: a living document that evolves with us, every time someone asks, “So… what about this?”
————
If you’re the type who actually reads the manual — knock yourself out: the Guide of Conduct is right here to download. Btw: it’s there to spark ideas, not to be ctrl-C + ctrl-V’d. If you’d like to use it for your own business/develop one of your own, get in touch and we’ll put you in touch with our wonderful consultant/author.
Click here for the open job applications
Alcohol and Drugs in Hospitality
Not a word about alcohol. Not a word about drugs. In a city like Berlin, in a line of work like ours. With estimates suggesting that roughly one in seven people in Germany consume alcohol at problematic levels. A blind spot: for us, and for society at large also
So, a good reason to take it on. Because at its core, our Guide of Conduct is about exactly that: how to build a workplace in hospitality that’s values-driven and grounded in shared responsibility. (It’s also part of the reason we were honoured with the Sustainability Award at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024.)
And yes, it’s a complicated subject. On the one hand, it’s surrounded by taboo; on the other, our industry swims in alcohol. In some roles — sommeliers, for instance — drinking is literally part of the job. At the same time, we have to ask ourselves as an employer: which problems are individual, and which are systemic? Are alcohol and drugs symptoms of an overworked, overstressed environment, meaning that change, at least partly, has to start with us? But equally: where does care end, and overreach begin?
One thing was clear to us: we wanted to bring this topic out of the shadows. Our response, as always, isn’t a rigid rulebook but an invitation — to reflection, to conversation, to a bit of collective soul-searching, individually, within the team, and across the industry.
At the heart of it — as in everything we do — lies our wish for people to make conscious choices. People will consume alcohol and drugs; that’s just a fact of life. But while we take our responsibility as an employer seriously, we also expect that adults take responsibility for themselves and for each other.
That’s why we’ve set a few clear boundaries.
Example 1: We understand that people go out, party, and occasionally indulge. That’s fine. What’s not fine is calling in sick after too much Sisyphos or Berghain — leaving your colleagues to give up their day off and cover your shift. Or showing up still halfway gone and putting yourself or others at risk.
Example 2: As a matter of principle, we don’t drink with guests. Not because we’re killjoys, but because our role is different. We create the space where others eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. For that, we have to stay clear-headed. The best compliment you can give us isn’t a shared shot, but a tip. We’re here so you can let go — just like we ourselves like to do, once we’re off the clock.
And then there’s the most sensitive question of all: what happens when someone on the team is drinking too much?
The threshold to talk about it is high — understandably. That’s why we set it up so that such cases can be addressed directly with our external confidential contact. They’re bound by confidentiality (yes, even towards management) and help us find supportive, non-stigmatising ways to deal with it.
Why all this? Because we believe these things need to be talked about — especially when it gets tricky and when it might be easier to look away. Because we’re convinced that a hospitality culture that’s good for its people will always create a better experience for its guests. We know we won’t always get it right. But that’s not the point. The point is to look, to talk, to learn, and to keep getting better — together.
And that’s exactly what our Guide of Conduct is for: a living document that evolves with us, every time someone asks, “So… what about this?”
————
If you’re the type who actually reads the manual — knock yourself out: the Guide of Conduct is right here to download. Btw: it’s there to spark ideas, not to be ctrl-C + ctrl-V’d. If you’d like to use it for your own business/develop one of your own, get in touch and we’ll put you in touch with our wonderful consultant/author.
Click here for the open job applications