Already half a year before the first lockdown, Katja and Tom Schult - both originally from Berlin - opened the bistro “Esskalation” in the Südstadt area of Bonn. By doing so, they made themselves independent and fulfilled a life-long dream. The concept of their bistro is to offer purely vegan food, animal products are taboo.

"We figured out that it was hardly possible to get vegan food outside of home in Bonn," Katja Schult recalls. The 34-year-old has a degree in business administration and is a tax consultant, while her brother (28) has a degree in geography. Although they both felt comfortable in their respective jobs, they had always been interested in gastronomy, Katja Schult tells us and laughs. "We are great foodies and passionate about playing host.”

Then came the first lockdown in mid-March 2020. It was initially a shock for the siblings, but then they quickly realized how well a “to-go” business could work. "Besides our regular customers, we suddenly had many new customers who worked from their homes in Südstadt and came to us for food," says Katja Schult. At the time, they only received a small amount of state aid because they had not been in business long enough to receive more financial support. Rent reductions were also not up for discussion.

Starting in May, restaurants were allowed to reopen in small steps and with strict hygiene regulations in place. But just a few months later, at the beginning of November, the second lockdown came, throwing a curve ball at the young entrepreneurs. This time it was even tougher, and the restaurants had to remain closed for almost seven months. Food and drinks were once again only available for take-out. But thanks to the take-out service, a well-developed business plan - "my educational background came in handy here, of course" - and savings, the Schults managed to make ends meet even during this time.

The experience during the lockdown months did not prevent the brother and sister from opening a second franchise in the summer of 2021 with their restaurant "Esskalation" in Poppelsdorf on Clemens-August-Strasse. "We had been feeling more and more like a take-out place with our bistro, and yet we wanted to be hosts who could serve their customers a great dinner with good wines and give them a nice experience," explains the 34-year-old. Their success proves them right, she says today. Especially since many non-vegans now also appreciate the food on offer at Esskalation.

Some were rather skeptical, others appreciative: This was the reaction of the neighbors when Kristina and Christian Bautz opened their restaurant "Kris & Chris" in Endenich on the Kulturmeile opposite Magdalenenplatz in February of 2021 - in the middle of the second lockdown. They had already signed the lease the year before, and at that time they had no idea that they would not be able to welcome customers into the freshly renovated restaurant for a long time.

The couple also fulfilled a lifelong dream with their new restaurant. Both had previously traveled the world and worked in the restaurant industry in many countries. Back home, Kristina and Christian Bautz, who is a trained chef, wanted to finally bring the culinary diversity they had experienced on their travels to the plates of their own restaurant. But for the 38-year-old and her 32-year-old husband, the only option at first was to offer food for take-out.

"We have adapted our dishes to the to-go business," says Kristina Bautz. Most of the dishes prepared were curries, sandwiches and other foods that are well suited for takeout. They received no state aid during the lockdown. ”In the end, it worked out well because we didn't have any staff yet and also didn't set our expectations too high from the start," says Kristian Bautz. In any case, they were able to cover the costs, although this period was very stressful. "After all, we didn't know how long the lockdown would last, it was all hard to plan." The couple is grateful that many customers have remained loyal to them throughout. "Fortunately, it turned out well for us," says Kristian Bautz, who is happy that their restaurant is always well frequented.

With a lot of courage and a willingness to take risks, Vincens von Bibra (28) and his wife Mengni also managed to navigate their café “Lighthouse" through the difficult times of the pandemic. It is located on Bonngasse in Bonn's city center. They had the misfortune of having to close again shortly after opening in October with the start of the second lockdown at the beginning of November 2020.

The couple had converted the café in the rooms of the former "Ewige Lampe" restaurant so that the window front facing the street could be opened, making it convenient for a take-out business. Vincens and Mengni von Bibra had signed the lease in the summer and had already come up with the idea for their own café two years earlier while on vacation. "I think because of coronavirus, the rental offer was quite favorable, so we had grabbed it without giving a thought to the pandemic.”

In November and December of 2020, the 28-year-old, who studied general management and worked for a long time as a self-employed media designer, still received some government support, but then the guidelines changed. The couple, who have two young children (ages one and three), had to see how they could get by. “Take-out revenue was what saved us - 100 percent. Especially our homemade cinnamon buns are famous in town. I probably wouldn't have been able to manage with a steakhouse, because steaks are hard to take home," the café owner says, laughing. Would he take this step again today under the same circumstances? "Yes," comes a rapid response. "I would maybe do one or two things differently, but I would definitely open a café."

(Orig. text: Lisa Inhoffen / Translation: Carol Kloeppel)