Where HSG student life thrives: Campus bar [ad]hoc celebrates its relaunch

It all started with a student adventure: Michael Dombrowe, then a master's student, was commissioned by the HSG management in 2009 to set up a bar on campus. He had previously developed the student bar MeetingPoint on St. Gallen's Blumenbergplatz. ‘Suddenly I had budget responsibility that was many times greater than that of MeetingPoint,’ recalls the 43-year-old with a laugh. ‘That caused me many a sleepless night, but the HSG also gave me the perfect opportunity to practise my entrepreneurial skills.’ For two years, he worked practically full-time at the bar, which opened in 2011.

Its goal: to be a meeting place with fair prices for students, researchers, HSG employees and the general public. In addition to beer, wine and drinks, the bar also offers organic coffee from a piston machine, soft drinks and small snacks. The bar is open daily until midnight during the semester and is also a great place to grab a quick coffee at lunchtime.

The Student Union of the University of St.Gallen (SHSG) has run the bar independently since its inception. ‘It is an important meeting place for the university community – it's a place where friendships are formed, successes can be celebrated and comfort can be found after a failed exam,’ says Leonardo Moser, current SHSG President and former SHSG catering manager. ‘Thanks to the bar, some of the students who work there also have an income.’

Opening with thousands of new students

After 15 years, [ad]hoc moved at the beginning of September 2025 – but it wasn't a big move: just across the Mensaplatz to HSG building 05. The reason for this is the addition of extra seating in the often overcrowded HSG canteen, which is adjacent to the bar.

The new [ad]hoc is a little larger and has a U-shaped bar that can be used all around. It was officially opened on 8 September 2025, just in time for Start Week, when 3,000 new students were on the HSG campus.

From bar founder to spirits dealer

For [ad]hoc founder Dombrowe, the HSG campus bar was also a trailblazer: in addition to beer at student prices, the bar also offered a fine selection of spirits, including high-quality whisky, rum, gin and cognac. Dombrowe purchased these from spirits dealer Glen Fahrn in the St. Gallen village of Mörschwil.

‘We got on well and after a while the founder and owner offered me a job as his right-hand man,’ says Dombrowe. He accepted – and still works today for the family business in eastern Switzerland, which employs 16 people and has six locations. ‘I combined my passion for gastronomy with my business administration knowledge from the HSG – and it still works very well,’ says Dombrowe.

He continues to be involved with ad-hoc as a consultant: students can seek help from an advisory board made up of prominent catering professionals if they have operational questions.