What happened to the cuckoo restaurant

Willi Koeppen was born in Berlin on 22 Juneforming his career as a chef before moving to Australia after the war. He never got dressed up.

With the sale of the Cuckoo restaurant in Olinda imminent after it was declared on contract by the real estate agent responsible for its sale, now is a good time to look back on the storied history of the Dandenong Ranges institution. The restaurant first opened in , after the Quamby Tearooms were board by Willi and Karin Keoppen. The German-themed restaurant offered an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord made by chef Willi Keoppen, who was a famous TV chef on Channel 7. In , Mr Keoppen disappeared under controversial and mysterious circumstances at age Born in Berlin in , Mr Keoppen immigrated to Australia during the s. After making his fortune in Australia, at the time of his disappearance business was booming.

What happened to the cuckoo restaurant

In , celebrity chef Willi Koeppen disappeared from his restaurant in the Dandenongs. The case has never been solved. Later he worked at different locations around Germany and Europe. In , Koeppen moved to Melbourne. The summer Olympics were being held in the city, and he was lured by the opportunities this large event presented. Also arriving in Melbourne from Germany that year, and for the same reason, Karin Lantzsch. The pair met at a party during the Olympics, began dating, and were married the following year. In preparation for the Olympics, many old buildings were demolished you can read more about this, here , and were replaced with more modern equivalents. Outdoor dining, a novelty at the time, began at the Oriental Hotel on Collins Street, in The city was trying to shake off its colonial, agricultural past, and seeking cosmopolitan, contemporary ideas. Willi Koeppen, with his experience in Europe, fit this trend. He was handsome and energetic, and brought with him innovative new cuisine ideas. The building was low-rise, rather than a big tower block, and situated on extensive grounds featuring a swimming pool, tennis court and gymnasium, when these were not standard hotel features. The Chevron billed itself as a more relaxed accommodation option, like a rural getaway, in the heart of the city.

Nevertheless, this story has persisted: that Koeppen was murdered by underworld figures, over a financial dispute. Olinda was already a popular tourist getaway for people in Melbourne, and Koeppen was well known from TV. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.

.

For 44 years the disappearance of Celebrity Chef Willi Koeppen has remained a mystery. But this cold case warrants a much closer look. There are too many people that know more than has been revealed, and the truth deserves to be uncovered. Former police detective Damian Marrett, now private investigator at Marrett Investigations has been reinvestigating the Willi Koeppen case and believes there are many condemning clues and persons of interest have been overlooked. Witnesses say Willi had been drinking heavily and had left the Cuckoo restaurant in Olinda with a local doctor, who many media reports have described as a family friend. Many who knew the pair are not so convinced of this apparent friendship, raising more questions than answers. The doctor claimed that he last saw Willi leave his surgery sometime around 3am that morning supposedly to return to the Cuckoo. The rear sliding door was wide open and his keys still in the ignition. Willi was nowhere to be seen. Of interest is a large dark American style sedan followed by a light coloured van were seen in the vicinity of the restaurant around this time and appeared to be travelling together.

What happened to the cuckoo restaurant

The entertainment involved lots of lederhosen, bum and thigh slapping, accordion playing and yodelling, and was good for group occasions like birthdays, as its fixed price made it easy to split the bill. The restaurant now seats more than and welcomes coach tours, where Chinese people visiting Australia eat a Swedish-style meal in a Bavarian-style restaurant. The cafe was apparently famous for its strawberries and cream, sold at sixpence a dish. Karen had arrived in Melbourne in , meaning to stay only long enough to watch the Olympic Games.

Old.pueblo grill victor

After making his fortune in Australia, at the time of his disappearance business was booming. Chopper is a local legend. Belgrave resident Natasja Van Wyk, a former human rights lawyer from South Africa is now a full time quilting textile artist in the outer Also arriving in Melbourne from Germany that year, and for the same reason, Karin Lantzsch. Who knows? His nickname comes from his ears, which Read had hacked off so he would get sent to the prison hospital, and so avoid a gang confrontation. Held in partnership with the Living and Both reportedly had extra marital affairs. Loading Comments The restaurant has been owned by the Keoppen family for the following four decades and was a famous tourist destination before it closed during the Covid pandemic. The case has never been solved. Police thought it possible he could have followed through on his threat to commit suicide. On 28 February , a drunken Mr Koeppen reportedly abused staff, including his wife, at the Cuckoo restaurant, before family friend and local practitioner Dr Bernard Butler telephoned Mrs Koeppen to say he would visit the restaurant to see her husband. Friday through Sunday, there was a floor show.

The Cuckoo restaurant in Olinda is likely to be sold soon after it was declared on contract by the real estate agent responsible for its sale. The restaurant first opened in , after the Quamby Tearooms were board by Willi and Karin Keoppen. The German-themed restaurant offered an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord made by chef Willi Keoppen, who was a famous TV chef on Channel 7.

In it, Read made a sensational claim: convicted serial killer Alex Tsakmakis admitted to Read that he had murdered Koeppen. Home News National spotlight back on missing Cuckoo founder. An ad for The Cuckoo, s But success had come at a cost. While he was having personal problems, The Cuckoo was still a profitable business when he disappeared. The wait staff wore lederhosen. This was something new in the city, and an instant success. Koeppen and his wife had three children, Andrei, Sabine and Daniela, which increased responsibilities at home. This had not been done previously, due to the absence of a body. The police investigation initially focussed on the Poole Island property, but it was clear that no one had visited. There they continued talking and drinking for another hour.