One of the oldest Lithuanian restaurants was not intimidated by the “tulips”: the pandemic will not be overcome

Birutė Bernatonienė, who has run the restaurant for almost 4 decades since it opened, waved at the walls of the restaurant: “Little has changed in so many years.” Only carpet, ceiling, wall material. But what has been famous for “Žara” for several decades has survived: deep red walls, glass lamps specially designed for the restaurant and the waiters and cooks who have worked for almost since its inception, who consider the restaurant a second home.

B.Bernatonienė has been dealing with the Soviet-era classic for 37 years. Having recently decided to finally take a well deserved break, laughing that he has accumulated leave for almost 10 years, he is still mentoring the new owners and cannot free himself as easily as “your baby” says.

1984 the restaurant opened in the western part of Panevėžys, in a place that did not attract representatives of this business. “They built a shopping center, there were stores, several appliance salons. And he built a restaurant in it. Everyone looked: where would you install a restaurant in such a square box? Impossible! But the young architect Vaclovas Andriuška invented it. At first, the name was “Glow”, perhaps because of the color of the wall. Only when we privatized did it become the “Western Heat”, said B. Bernatonienė.

The “tulips” also disrupted the festivities

In the past, “Žara” also had walls that seemed to separate the different companies that came to the islands. Over time, they disappeared: people stopped going in small groups to restaurants. Individual visitors or groups are now rare. There are old clients who are feeling nostalgic or space is already rented for separate parties.

When different campaigns had fun in one space, there were many memorable events. Violeta, who has worked in Žara for more than 30 years, said that during the New Year’s celebration, when the litas was switched to the euro last night, a farewell board for the Lithuanian currency was improvised. The loyal customers had almost become family, but there were also unpleasant or even threatening nights.

“It just came to our knowledge then. And the chandeliers crumbled, the chairs and tables ran, like everywhere,” recalls B. Bernatonienė sadly.

The first years of Lithuanian independence were very difficult for Žara, all the restaurants in the city and Panevėžys in general. The restaurant was already asking for repairs, crying to heat the building, but there was no money for that. Because there were no customers either, some people from Panevėžys simply had no money, some were afraid.

All was. And the chandeliers were crumbling, the chairs and tables were running, like everywhere else, recalled B. Bernatonienė.

“Everything was here, and there were tulips … Every year we organize New Year’s parties, maybe we were among the first in Lithuania to start doing it. Most of the customers were the same, they always made new friends. Irena Ulvydaitė sang. It was definitely our most successful event.

One year, people celebrate with children … and bandits with a knife invade. These are the people lurking under the tables … The view was terrible then ”, recalled B. Bernatonienė the most threatening night.

For foreigners – millionaire restaurant, for young people – „naphthalene“…

But the hostess of the restaurant for a long time prefers to remember the good times. How presidents and important foreign politicians visited here. How Kastytis Kerbedis and Rajžis started their careers here, as the brightest stars on the Lithuanian stage of that time gave concerts. Like live music nights, it was even difficult to get here. And as in the beginning of independence, he was able to endure hardships and recover.

Kastytis Kerbedis, Rajžis started his career here.

“It was difficult for everyone at that time, most of the restaurants closed at that time. And we suffered, we endured. We began to take out the first credits. We repaired and continued working,” said B. Bernatonienė.

The restaurant prides itself on not having operated only once in so many decades of existence, after the pandemic was quarantined. In the past, even repairs could be done in such a way that the restaurant door did not have to be closed even for a short period of time. “On Monday we unite, we falsify, we falsify, we do, we organize, and on the weekend we have banquets”, was proud B. Bernatonienė.

And now the rental parties and events are the most important source of income for the restaurant. There are no longer parties where different groups of people get together, have fun, communicate with each other. Now, if a circle of at least 20-30 people has already formed, they already want to reserve the whole room, bring their musician.

Unfortunately, some people also visit the restaurant less and less often. “It just came to our knowledge then. People come from that time, remember -” oh, that’s where our wedding was, “” well, there we met. “But that generation is coming to an end,” said B. Bernatonienė with evident resentment. in his voice.

He does not want, in such a place he compares it to another recently reborn Soviet classic: restaurant “Neringa” in Vilnius, which after the renovation received a lot of attention and customers.

Still, “Žara” can’t boast of that. “Vilnius is Vilnius. There were other people, writers gathered, celebrities. We don’t have that. There is no such core. No one is interested in us, just how many visitors meet and remember,” said the long-term manager of the restaurant. And there were moments where “Žara” was built next to the best restaurants, republican events were held here.

Young people come to this place only occasionally, prefer to choose other places. Oh, and I don’t shy away from commenting too harshly on “Žara”. “There are many posts on Facebook:” antiquity “,” stagnation “,” Soviet “,” naphthalene “. Sometimes it shakes my heart like this …”, admitted B.Bernatonienė.

There are not so many foreigners anymore, but those who visit it are impressed. “Foreigners come and say: a millionaire’s restaurant! Look at all those glasses, what they value. And at that time they were very expensive,” said the interlocutor about the restaurant’s greatest treasure.

How many posts are there on Facebook? “Antiquity”, “stagnation”, “Soviet”, “naphthalene”. Sometimes it squeezes the heart like this …, – admitted B.Bernatonienė.

The uniquely designed glass chandeliers were made specifically for this restaurant. The tablecloths, even the walls, were embroidered in the banquet hall especially for him. The craftsman, who came from Turkmenistan, embroidered up to 18 silk fabrics, which adorned the walls of Žara. Even in the Moscow Art Council, they were recognized as works of art. Just disappointing, but the silk faded over time.

Legend – in new hands

It is time to put an end to the management of the restaurant by B.Bernatonienė. The man who buried her a few years ago admitted he was tired.

“It just came to our knowledge then. I have been retired for 10 years. I buried my husband 3 years ago. I was already very, very tired, I imagined that life in a very different way. And I have already started looking for an opportunity to sell the restaurant “, – his long-term manager told about the difficult decision to say goodbye to” Žara “.

Several people wanted to buy a legendary restaurant, but B. Bernatonienė raised an unbreakable condition: the new owner must keep “Žara” as it is. There were those who wanted to buy, who did not hide that they only needed space, they had different plans for it. They received a negative response from Ms Birutė.

“I prayed to leave the lamps, to leave the bar, to leave as much as possible. I prayed! ”He recalled.

Dainiai Januškevičius, who runs the rural tourism and cafes business, managed to find such a host, who didn’t even have the idea to close the legend, quite quickly. This raised her condition: that the hostess of the restaurant would remain in charge for a couple of years. After a year, B. Bernatonienė still hasn’t quit his job. She still works as a consultant, but is already preparing for a well-deserved vacation.

The new manager of the restaurant is Miglė Januškevičiūtė, the owner’s daughter. The young woman, who until then had no experience in the restaurant business, admitted that at the beginning there was everything, both tears and hesitations. He needed to prove his competence as a manager. There are still many old employees in the restaurant, and they are run here by a young inexperienced woman!

But it soon became clear that what had scared her a little at first turned out to be the restaurant’s biggest asset. Since the beginning of the restaurant opening, the people who work here “Žara” also take care of their homes. “It’s easier to work with them, I don’t have to tell them what to do. They know everything, they pay, they understand everything,” praised the employees M. Januškevičiūtė.

The restaurant currently employs 14 people, although in its “golden year” there were twice as many. Then there was a concierge, dressing rooms, and more waiters. Now there are the rest and those who have been working since the inauguration.

B. Bernatonienė said that many people in Žara were employed after the internship, to which waiters and chefs were sent here. This is how Violeta, who came to Žara a couple of years after the restaurant opened, started her work here. “And I had gone out to raise the children, but I still came back,” she smiled.

Violeta, who received guests with a tense, communicative and pleasant smile, did not skimp on the restaurant’s praise, how much work here taught her. After all, we had to serve both presidents and pop stars. By working with these people, you develop elegance, inner peace, and some posters for your work. The difficult first year of Independence also gave his own: he hardened his character, taught him not to get lost and to quickly manage any situation.

The uncle now sets the main task for M. Januškevičiūtė: to maintain both the restaurant itself and the entire existing team of 14 people, without which Žara would lose much of its luster.

If we have already endured all the years of the beginning of Independence, then we really will not close now.

M. Januškevičiūtė is confident that Žara will lose its closure. While recognizing that the time is really difficult now, people are still afraid to enter the restaurant, the summer is not as planned as they would like. “But somehow we will survive,” he said. “It may be more difficult, but it will work.”

B. Bernatonienė, who is ready to say goodbye to his job at the restaurant, has no doubts about it: “I think it will last a long time. Really lucky with the new owner – he really thinks about working, he knows it, he loves that job. I am definitely happy. It can be maintained while working. If we have already endured all the years of the beginning of Independence, then we will not really close now. “