Where's Franz? Ask a local

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 302, 1 September 1989, Page 8

Where's Franz? Ask a local

Where's Franz and his restaurant crew gone? The locals know but many visitors may not.

Franz Brandl is a restaurateur who has built up a reputation in the Ruapehu Region for building skier, and locals, sized meals using good hearty, foods, but he and his crew have moved their reputation to a new location - to the Alpine Wine Bar Restaurant in Clyde Street Ohakune. Before winter Franz took on the lease of the Alpine, which is a similar type of restaurant to his previous one - the Hobbit. The Alpine has a well-stocked bar and wine cellar and offers an a la carte menu with

seafood entries at reasonable prices; roast, steak or fish mains of ample proportions and, if you've got room, old fashioned deserts like apple strudel and icecream sundaes.

Franz is Austrian born who migrated to Australia to work on the Snowy River project in New South Wales. He worked at Thredbo ski resort near there for a time before coming to New Zealand. He's still known for his time running the Whakapapa Tavern, before he mi-

grated to the southern Ruapehu area where he operated the Giant cafe on Turoa Skifields. While handling that business he also operated Parklands Restaurant in Clyde Street Ohakune. That's where he built up his "meals that are built" reputation.

Locals continue to eat at Franz's because of the relaxed and friendly staff, great value and the convivial atmosphere - all aspects that have followed this team to their present location - at the Alpine, Clyde Street Ohakune, on the opposite corner to the Mobil service station.