Thomas Hofstetter, Waid host.
A trained cook and waiter, he had been managing director of the Roter Kamm restaurant in Zurich for 14 years before taking over the Die Waid restaurant with his wife Susanne in January 2004. Since January 2009 they have also been tenants of Restaurant Tessin Grotto in Zurich. He graduated from the Wirtefachschule and is a Swiss certified restaurateur. Thomas Hofstetter is married and the proud father of two adult sons.
Andreas Wichert, Managing Director.
Andreas Wichert has been a member of the Waid team since its opening on 22 April 2004 – first as Service Manager until 2006, First Operating Assistant from 2006 to 2009, as Assistant Managing Director from February to December 2009 and as Managing Director since January 2010. With his enormous expertise, his enthusiasm and charming appearance, he is not only a great host, but also a great role model for our employees.
Christian Hofstetter, Deputy Managing Director.
After completing his cooking apprenticeship at Carlton Zurich on Bahnhofstrasse, he gained experience for a year at the 5-star Hotel Atlantis by Giardino and for a few months at Gustav under the Italian top chef Antonio Colaianni. After a 4 month trip to South America, he attended the hotel management school in Zurich. He completed his 9-month internship at reception and service in the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz and then graduated with a diploma. Hotelier and restaurateur HF.
Robert Grauer, Operations assistant.
Mr. Grauer joined us in July 2011 as a restaurant specialist from Berlin. Through his experience in several management positions in Germany, his dedication and commitment as a restaurant specialist, we promoted him in February 2016 to Chef de Service and in March 2018 to Operations Assistant.
Srikantha Ponniah, Executive Chef.
Srikantha Ponniah, born and raised in Sri Lanka, inherited his culinary skills and knowledge from native Sri Lankan cuisine. His family has always enjoyed cooking a lot and so he learned early on to use spices such as turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, which give the dishes a rich and complex aroma.
Arriving in Switzerland in 1991, he began his career as a chef shortly afterwards – successfully completing his apprenticeship in 1998. He has had a significant influence on WAID cuisine since 1997, when he was still under Alex Meier.
He has developed his skills and knowledge of Sri Lankan cuisine and created a fusion between Sri Lankan, Asian and Swiss cuisine that is unique. His dishes are known for their perfect combination of flavors and textures, and their authenticity. His particular passion is curries, which are made from a variety of ingredients. For example, the red curry sauce in the WAID WOK consists of around 30 (secret) ingredients.
Srikantha Ponniah is a luminary in his field and, as an ambassador for Sri Lankan cuisine, has contributed to making Sri Lankan-Asian cuisine better known and more tangible in Switzerland.
Timo Sobieray, Sous-Chef.
Timo Sobieray joined the cooking team on April 1, 2018 and was looking for a new challenge in 2022 at the Schloss Wulfingen restaurant in Winterthur. He completed his apprenticeship as a chef at the Muggenbühl restaurant in Zurich-Wollishofen. After his apprenticeship, he moved to the Swissotel for eight years and to the Zollhaus in Chur for another four years.
Mr. Sobieray has a wealth of experience that he has gained over the course of his career. He is an accomplished chef with an eye for detail. He combines his passion for cooking with his love of exercise: in his free time, he likes to explore the surrounding area by motorbike or bicycle. His willingness to experiment is also evident in the kitchen, where he is always trying out new recipes. We are extremely pleased that he has been part of our cooking team again since March 2024.