Marstall: the new tent is ready – on the web

There were a few dark rumours before the replacement for Sepp Krätz and his Hippodrom was announced: it turned out that the replacement, Siegfried Able, had already registered his “Marstall” tent concept as a trademark well in advance of being selected. Questions were asked: why did he go to the trouble of having it all trademarked if he hadn’t already been selected beforehand – and informed of it?

Or perhaps the good Mr. Able was simply very cautious and forward-looking. After all, there’s nothing more annoying than having a great idea poached. Whether there was corruption or not, whether Able really was selected only after due process – and we wouldn’t like to comment on that at all – Able was pretty quick in putting his tent up.

Virtually speaking, of course, since the tent won’t be going up for the first time until the weeks before the Oktoberfest. Not that you’d know that looking at the very professional, very classy website.

After all, the site studiously avoids any explicit reference to the fact that the Marstall tent is a first-time replacement for the Hippodrom. Perusing the “history” of the brand new tent – an oxymoron if ever there was one – the erstwhile Hippodrom receives no mention as the text makes an adventurous leap from the equestrian beginnings of the Oktoberfest through to the Marstall.

You’ll find this tactic of glossing over the tent’s novelty in an interview with the landlord, Siegfried Able, who talks about how “the décor in the Marstall was created with a meticulous eye for detail, which creates  very special atmosphere.” Now, neither the past tense “created” nor the present tense “creates” are accurate – they will not be accurate until some point in September! After all, the tent has never even been put up yet.

There’s a method to this madness, of course. The trick is probably that people from outside of Munich probably won’t know the difference, and that even those who do will be desperate for reservations – always in short supply at the main tents, but probably still readily available here. The idea of not reminding everyone just how new the tent is to reduce scepticism and get bookings; hence the detailed menu and clear brewery affiliation way in advance.

It’s all part of the skilful Able schtick, too, which is to look competent, professional, and high-end. The website, with its rich dark brown font colour on a wooden background, oozes class – as do sentences like “Beer or wine, traditional barbecued chicken or roast veal – our menu offers the perfect choices for every taste.” The Hippodrom was celebrated for its champagne bar, and Able seems to be perfectly happy with sticking to a more discerning clientele.

In other words: the Marstall is the kind of tent concept you can’t just throw together. It was probably quite some time in the making…