The city of Bonn had opened up the offer to others, also considering the Markfreunde association - comprised of the current market vendors, who also submitted a concept. A working group from the city administration and local politicians finally decided to award the contract to the Marktgilde. But along with the contract come clear mandates to improve the daily produce market at the Old Town Hall - especially from an eco-friendly point of view.

In 2008, the DMG Marktgilde had taken over the organization of the produce market from the city. The contract expires in the spring but has now been extended for three years with an option to extend.. The DMG guild operates around around 120 markets throughout Germany.

A round table is to be established to address questions concerning the Bonn produce market.  Open six days a week, it has a unique place in the market scene of comparable cities across Germany.  "We have criticized that in the past, especially with the fruit and vegetable offers,  things have not always run as we would like," said a local politician who was part of the working group.  Among other things, he refers to complaints from citizens about deficiencies when it comes to quality.

District mayor Jochen Reeh-Schall (SPD), whose Bonn district council will deal with the awarding of the produce market contract before the city council meeting, is a little more open: "Of course I can't say anything about the awarding, after all that is a simple administrative task. But we expect from the guild that it will now extend and improve what’s on offer at the produce market." Conceivable is also the addition of a scissors and knife sharpening service. "Until now, I have had to drive all over town with my knives for that," says Reeh-Schall.

There is also a certain dissatisfaction about a lack of regional offers, these must increase, noted the politician. Well received are still the food trucks, he said. "There, of course, one can also imagine a more uniform design, but that is a question of money." Another idea, he said, is to set up shared tables and chairs in the middle of the square for all the food trucks.  If each of his family members gets something to eat at a different cart, "there's nowhere we can sit and eat together," Reeh-Schall said.

Combining the daily produce market with the eco-market near the Bonn Cathedral, as has been discussed several times, but was not discussed in the contract awarding procedure.  The eco- market is organized privately and only runs for two days, said Reeh-Schall. The fact that there were formal legal concerns about whether or not a registered association like the Marktfreunde was allowed to operate a market at all had no influence on the awarding of the contract to the Marktgilde.

 (Orig. text: Lisa Inhoffen; Translation: ck)