As their team fell to Italy in the Euro Cup semi-finals Thursday afternoon, Germany fans that poured into Zum Stammtisch in Glendale banged tankards of beer against wooden tables as they saw their hopes dashed.
The restaurant has been hosting Euro Cup 2012 viewing parties, to the delight of German-American fans in the neighborhood.
Steve Brunner said Zum Stammtisch has been a meeting place for residents and German fans in the neighborhood to cheer on their team over a few beers.
“[Soccer is] part of the German culture and you get a feel of that when you’re in this place,” he said.
Brunner’s own interest in soccer developed four years ago when he was in the Black Forest for a family wedding. He and his uncle decided to visit Munich, where they saw Germany play Austria — and instantly became a fan.
The restaurant has brought in decent sized crowds for games that are normally played in the late morning or mid-afternoon.
“We’re getting 80 to 100 people,” said Werner Lehner, who owns the restaurant along with his brother Hans.
Lehner said Zum Stammtisch especially gets a crowd when the German National Team is playing, bringing in familiar friends and dedicated fans from the neighborhood.
After Italy scored its second goal, the packed back room – with a 10-foot projection screen – was filled with boos and the sounds of fists banging on wooden tables.
One fan screamed, “Do they have this referee’s family tied to a tree somewhere in Europe?”
