Welcome to the Swiss Haus. Err…what is left of it.


At the age of 17, a man by the name of Joseph Lah traveled to the United States with hopes of pursuing his dreams – to run not only a successful restaurant, but a collective of other small businesses. Joseph would come to see firsthand how the business world can chew you up and spit you out in an instant.


 
In 1981, Joseph and his wife – Marie Lah – had opened the Swiss Haus; a wonderful chalet set amidst beautiful wooded land in Madison Township, Ohio. The Swiss Haus was run under operations of Nordic Village Inc., which held Joseph as president, and Mrs. Lah as vice president. Nordic Village Inc. was one of Joseph’s other business ventures – established in December of 1979, prior to the opening of The Swiss Haus.



 
 
Lah saw great success with the chalet, though this success would unfortunately not last for the hopeful couple. Opened on November 25, 1981 the Swiss Haus quickly became very active, and heavily popular, attracting locals and non-locals alike, seeking a unique vacation/relaxation spot during winter months. Through the first year, the restaurant had become a sort of winter recreation center, offering skiing, ski and boot rentals – even ski lessons taught by Lah himself. In addition to the winter activity, the location would offer an overall atmosphere of a typical Swiss chalet similar to that, which you would find in the Swiss Alps.


 

Originally intended to be Lah’s home, ideas were tossed around, shifted and juggled, until the agreement was settled to open as a public restaurant. Lunch would be offered from 11am to 4pm and Dinner from 4pm to 11pm. 67 creditors, investors and stockholders bought into Lah’s idea for the restaurant, and for the first few years, operations progressed quite smoothly. Soon enough however, 1985 would roll around, and the Lahs would see a sudden change of pace in their business, as an unforeseen downfall would creep quickly when doors were shut for good.



 
The city shuttered doors on the Lah family’s business, leaving no possibility of re-entrance to the property to retrieve or remove anything. The Lahs had pushed themselves into a corner, owing $880,035 to creditors, along with $133,579 in back taxes; this put their total debts at $1,013,614. The Lahs filed for bankruptcy in December of 1985, and only a few short years later, the Swiss Haus, along with their own home were both put up for public sale by the county. The Swiss Haus was appraised at a value of $500,000. The auction was held June 6-7, 1988, but the building remained unsold.

 
Never purchased and still empty, dust coats tabletops while birds occupy former dining areas. This practically forgotten chalet sits host to nature’s unforgiving, destructive tendencies to take back what once belonged to it. A cluttered mess remains spread throughout building interiors – dust and debris lay strewn across stained carpet, and crumbling windows welcome the outside air. Tables are tipped and flipped every which way, as if a small tornado had paid a visit to each area. Why would a tornado even want to eat at a chalet? Glass shards frame the outside world, grasping alongside the edges of window frames, while the rest of the pane lay smashed at my feet.


Standing at the end of a dust-coated bar, I watched as the sun peaked in, soaking fallen fragments of the destroyed windows. A soft evening sky tossed bright, golden light through the door, reflecting from each sharp edge of glass, sparkling vibrantly along every shard that sat scattered among the mess; I wanted to reach out and grab the flickering pieces. It’s funny how something that could rip your hands to pieces could appear so inviting to grasp. Many of the wood workings, carved by Lah himself now remain jacketed in dust, falling into a state of crumbling decay. So many of us only hear what we want to hear, so the sad part is that many will deny the fact that we are being wasteful, continuing to call it progression. Too many won’t accept the fact that things could have went a bit different, and that this could have been saved instead of thrown to waste.