Café Kellermann in Babelsberg closes – who will be the new operator?

Café Kellermann in Babelsberg closes – who will be the new operator?

In Babelsberg, the popular Café Kellermann is looking for a new operator. The previous owner, Uwe Kellermann, decided to close the restaurant due to financial difficulties that worsened during the pandemic. The cafe opened in 2017 and quickly became an important neighborhood gathering spot, but a self-service approach hurt sales and tips. The ever-increasing costs for rent, energy as well as the increase in the minimum wage and VAT have now put the café out of business, reports the Daily Mirror.

Kellermann emphasizes that he has no interest in continuing to run the café in a different format. The idea of ​​a low-threshold meeting point is no longer economically viable. While new cafés are constantly opening in Babelsberg, local retail relies heavily on the support of local residents. This is also reflected in the general criticism of gastronomy: more and more restaurant and pub operators have had to give up due to the corona pandemic, which is putting the industry under great pressure Deutschlandfunk reported.

The gastronomy landscape is changing

The catering industry in Germany has been hit hard since the pandemic. Sales in this sector fell by 3.8 percent in real terms in 2024, which is 15.8 percent less than before the pandemic. While the number of cafes and bars will have almost reached pre-pandemic levels in 2023, the number of restaurants and bars will remain around 20 percent behind the 2019 numbers. Catering businesses struggle with high energy and rental costs as well as rising food prices, which leads to recurring “restaurant deaths”, especially in rural regions. The closures are taking place not only in cities, where new operators often move into former restaurants, but also in rural areas where the number of guests continues to decline.

Despite these challenges, Café Kellermann is showing positive dynamics: discussions with potential successors are already in the final phase. A classic restaurant with a more extensive service concept is expected to move in. Kellermann himself plans to devote more time to his regional store, which he has been running since 2007. His 18 employees, many of whom work part-time or mini-jobs, do not have to worry about their future employment because Kellermann pays attention to their well-being.

Insights into the future

A ray of hope in the midst of the crisis mood: Kellermann would like to thank the loyal regular guests who supported him with around 30,000 euros during the Corona period. Such solidarity is essential in the catering industry. There is even the prospect of a closing party for Café Kellermann, which will serve as a thank you to the guests for their support. The job change is a further step in an industry that is currently in constant upheaval.

The challenges are enormous, but there is movement not only in Babelsberg. The catering businesses would like to see a reduction in VAT in order to reduce the financial pressure and hope that the general conditions will soon stabilize. But the experts warn: full recovery will probably take some time.