About us
The Huefyse is a down-to-earth neighbourhood pub in Basel's Iselin, run by the Stenz family. A beer from the tap, a sausage off the grill and a chat at the bar: simple, honest, no frills.
Where the name comes from
The Huefyse didn't get its name by chance: the pub is named after the former horse stables next door, at the old headquarters of the Settelen company. From the horseshoes of those days («Huefyse» is Basel dialect for horseshoe) came the pub's symbol, the horseshoe you'll find on our logo today.
Sales, still at the tap at 80
The landlord Sales Stenz, now 80 and soon 81, still stands behind the bar every day, ten hours at a time, seven days a week: «We're never closed.» He greets the first guests around eight in the morning and stays open in the evening as long as there are people. Why doesn't he simply stop? «I love my work and I love being among people. At home I'd just be bored.» And he does it for his two children.
A life as a landlord
Sales grew up in Subingen in the canton of Solothurn. As a young man he came to Basel, trained at the post office and worked for a car dealer. After that he was self-employed all his life: eighteen years running a pizzeria and a disco in northern Germany, then some twenty years organising lotto evenings for local clubs around Basel. In his seventies he looked for a pub once more, and at 74 he became the landlord of the Huefyse.
Fatima
There would be no Huefyse without Fatima Stenz. As his wife and co-founder she supports him every day; now and then their daughter or a friend takes a shift. Together they make sure everyone feels welcome, whether a regular or a first-time guest.
A pub for the quarter
«Many of my regulars are pensioners who come by for a coffee, a lunch and a chat,» says Sales. That is exactly what the Huefyse is: a regulars' table where people know your name, a cheap lunch, the famous «Steak mit Hörnli» (on request, just ask ahead), live football and a small sunny terrace. And Sales carries on: he has just renewed his lease until 2030. «As long as I can, I'll keep working.»
The full story of Sales in the press: «Mit 80 Jahren noch 10 Stunden am Zapfhahn» (Basler Zeitung (BaZ)).