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THE HISTORY OF THE BATH RESTAURANT

Bük, located 27 kilometers from Szombathely, is one of the largest thermal baths in Central Europe, and its existence was actually due to oil exploration. In 1957, oil drilling workers discovered thermal water at a depth of 1,280 meters. Chemical analyses of the 58-degree water soon showed that it contained sixteen types of minerals. The emerging medicinal water transformed the everyday life of the quiet village of Vásárlón into a completely new direction, as Bük magically became one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Year after year, more and more people visited the spring, which was reputed to be miraculous, which encouraged the residents to take quick action and develop. Service units and pools mushroomed, but the spa had difficulty coping with the demands of the booming tourism industry.

Bük was officially declared a spa in 1973. One of the most serious developments was carried out between 1972 and 1976, when 80 million forints were spent on the construction of the spa area and its immediate surroundings, making them more cultured. The approximately 27-acre fenced park housed pools of various sizes and water temperatures, as well as sunbathing and play areas. As we have already mentioned, the spa quickly became popular, first among the people of Vas County, and later among the residents of other regions. In the year the spa opened, more than thirty thousand people visited Bük. As a result of the hordes of guests coming from far away, the construction of a modern, new catering unit in Bükfürdő already included in the longer-term plans of the Vas County Council. The year 1973 promised great changes in the county’s commercial and catering network. The members of the county council’s food economy and trade committee asked the authorities to give priority to the implementation of the Bükfürdő development plan: “In addition to the medical treatment and the opportunities provided by the natural environment, impeccable and well-organized service is also necessary in our spa resorts. Therefore, it is essential that the self-service restaurant that has been planned for years be built in Bükfürdő as soon as possible.”

Büköt hivatalosan 1973-ban nyilvánították gyógyfürdővé. Az egyik legkomolyabb fejlesztést 1972—76 között hajtották végre, amikor 80 millió forintot költöttek a fürdőterület és közvetlen környezetének kiépítésére, kulturáltabbá tételére. A körülbelül 27 holdas bekerített parkban kaptak helyet a különböző nagyságú és vízhőfokú medencék, a napozó- és játszóterületek. Mint már említettük, a fürdő gyorsan népszerűvé vált, először a Vas megyeiek, később más vidékek lakóinak körében. A fürdő megnyitásának évében már több, mint harmincezren látogatottak Bükre. A messze földről érkező vendégsereg hatására a Vas Megyei Tanács távolabbi terveiben már szerepelt egy korszerű, új vendéglátóipari egység építése Bükfürdőn. Az 1973-as esztendő nagy változásokat ígért a megye kereskedelmi és vendéglátóipari hálózatában. A megyei tanács élelmiszer-gazdasági és kereskedelmi bizottságának a tagjai kérték az illetékeseket, hogy kiemelten segítsék elő Bükfürdő fejlesztési tervének megvalósítását: „Gyógyfürdő-helyeinken a gyógykezelés és a természeti környezet adta lehetőségek mellett szükséges azonban a kifogástalan és jól szervezett szolgáltatás is. Ezért elengedhetetlen, hogy Bükfürdőn mielőbb megépüljön az évek óta tervezett önkiszolgáló étterem.”

In this part, several hundred people could eat at the same time, at the tables placed inside and on the terrace in front of the building. The other part was designed as a traditional restaurant, which was primarily intended for guests not visiting the spa. The two restaurant parts were separated by a glass wall that could be opened. The traditional restaurant had 120 seats at the tables, which was the perfect venue for events and meetings. During its nearly half-century history, many stars and important public figures visited the complex built directly on the border of the spa. In the heyday of hospitality, stars such as Gyula Kabos, János Koós, or even Péter Máté performed here. Both parts operated in winter and summer, however, according to the original plans, the self-service restaurant only worked with reduced capacity in winter in accordance with the emerging demands.

The kitchen of the new restaurant was equipped with one of the most modern preparation systems in the country. Separate rooms were also used for the preparation of meat, fish, pasta, cold food and vegetables. In one part of the building, a modern ice cream making system capable of preparing tens of thousands of servings per day was built. The traditional and self-service restaurant sections were complemented by a 15-meter-long buffet line located inside the building but accessible from the outside. Thus, visitors to the spa at the time could choose between three dining options. The restaurant was officially operated by the Csepreg Electricity Distribution Company in the early period. Another interesting feature of the new Bük restaurant for a thousand people was that it used three types of energy for its operation, its basic heating was done with steam, while the kitchen and restaurant sections used oil and electricity.

Following the successful technical handover, between the two holidays, on December 28, 1974, to be exact, the Fürdő Étterem opened its doors and began its success story.

The contemporary Vas Népe reported the important news the day after the opening:

The county’s governing body had a long-standing problem with catering for the visitors of the highly touristic Bük spa. Its former, so-called summer kitchen and restaurant had long been too small to meet the increased demands. Party and council bodies urged the problem to be solved and eliminated as soon as possible, so a large-capacity kitchen and restaurant were designed and built. More than 12 million forints were raised for the investment, with the consent of the National Tourism Council, the county council and the joint development fund of county cooperatives, and after the technical handover, the important service-supporting facility was handed over to its intended purpose yesterday. The self-service and traditional restaurant was designed by the Budapest Cooperative Design Company and built by VASÉP. They were already cooking in the kitchen yesterday; and they were also serving in the restaurant. The first lunch was enjoyed by the restaurant’s visitors and guests.