For example, Bonn real estate agent Bettina Hucko was able to re-let a vacant shop not far from the entrance to the Hairline hair salon. "An ice cream parlour is to move in," she tells the GA. Subject to the approval of a change of use by the city of Bonn, which she assumes be granted. For lovers of ice cream, Kaiserplatz would thus become a Dorado: it would be the third ice cream parlour there. The previous tenant was the Hofgarten pharmacy, which has moved to a shop a few houses away. "However, the ice cream parlour only uses the front part of the shop facing Kaiserplatz," explains Hucko. The rear part, which leads into the passage, has been separated and is still available for rent. The real estate agent is confident: although the "Passage" art project has just left the Kaiserpassage again, she hopes that the long-standing vacancy will soon be a thing of the past.

She sees a positive new beginning in any case with the move of an Asian supermarket into the premises of the former DM drugstore, which she observes is enjoying growing popularity with customers, as well as with the arrival of the Hairline hairdressing salon. Bernd Engelien, spokesman for the Cologne-based Zurich Insurance Group Germany, the owner of the Kaiserpassage, nourishes Hucko's hopes for an improvement in the situation: for example, the company has been able to sign a long-term lease with "Go Asia", one of the largest Asian supermarket chains in Germany. "Furthermore, a cigar shop is opening this month, and rental agreements with existing tenants, including shop tenants, in the Kaiserpassage could be extended and thus secured," Engelien told the GA when asked. He again denied the question of whether the property was for sale, as is repeatedly rumoured in the Bonn business world.

A few houses away is the former traditional shop Vollmar & Söhne on the corner of Kaiserplatz and Am Neutor. Last summer it closed after 160 years. The son of the owner couple Anita and Johannes Vollmar, Raphael Vollmar, and his business partner Gerald Koenen want to fill the listed building with life again this year. It is to become the headquarters and representative office of their internationally active company Rheinland Distillers GmbH with its Siegfried beverage brand, which is now well known worldwide. Originally, the renovation plans, for which the Bonn architect Karl-Heinz-Schommer was responsible, were to have been implemented last year.

But the balancing act between monument protection and modernity and, last but not least, Corona and the flood disaster and the associated enormous workload of the tradespeople put a spoke in the duo's wheel, Vollmar reports. In the meantime, the building permit has been issued, work could begin and probably in the last quarter of the year, Vollmar hopes, he will be able to realise his dream of a Siegfried representative office in the middle of Bonn's city centre in the historic family building with, among other things, a bar and shop on the ground floor. "We want to open with the shops in the morning," Vollmar reveals, "to liven up this area of Kaiserplatz during the day as well." How long they can stay open in the evening is still an open question. "This issue has not yet been settled."

There is also news to report from Poststraße: Jeweller Elke Velten - known from the ZDF series "Bares für Rares", in which she is part of the team of dealers - wants to open a shop for antique jewellery and high-quality second-hand watches in the former Gold-Krämer shop in the next few weeks. She told the GA that she will also keep her current jewellery shop on Gangolfstraße.

In addition to the ongoing renovation work in the former Karstadt, where the fashion chain Peek & Cloppenburg plans to reopen on the ground floor as well as the first and second floors in the course of this year, the construction workers have apparently also started work in the large commercial building on the corner of Poststraße/An der Sürst, which was once home to the textile company Appelrath Cüpper. The GA has just learned that the fashion company Daniels is the new owner. No further details could be obtained from the company on Tuesday. As reported, Appelrath Cüpper moved into the former Zara fashion store (previously occupied by Blömer) on the corner of Markt/Remigiusplatz last year.

For 21 years Karin Neuefeind ran her boutique "Schuh-Schuh" on Friedrichstraße. It is expected to come to an end in June. The 63-year-old is closing her shop, although many customers have remained loyal to her despite Corona, she says. Not only Corona, but also the increasing bureaucratisation and high tax burden had prompted her to take the step. "My energy reserves are exhausted." Unfortunately, she says, the hope of finding a successor - after all, she has a client file with 950 addresses - has come to nothing. "It is a high risk to run a business in these times," she says. However, the enterprising businesswoman does not want to rest on her laurels: as a trained potter, she will be offering pottery courses in a newly rented shop on Hauptstraße in Königswinter from the summer onwards.

There is a conspicuous amount of vacant space in Sternstraße at the moment. Karina Kröber from the board of the City Marketing Association, among others, observes this with concern. It is true that the snack bar "Frites Belgique" has just opened in a former soap shop. But: "As much as I am happy about the new tenancy, we have to be careful that not too many gastronomic businesses occupy the shop premises," said Kröber. In this context, she again criticised the soon planned capping of the Cityring at the height of Maximilianstraße. She is convinced that this measure will drive even more customers out of Bonn's city centre and instead drive them to online retail.

(Original text: Lisa Inhoffen; Translation: Mareike Graepel)