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Café Glück in Fulda has already been on break for four months. The operator experiences a chaos of emotions between frustration and optimism.
Fulda – Due to immense water damage, 12 employees and 18 temporary workers at Café Glück on Friedrichstrasse are currently unable to come to work. Anna Hain would never have imagined that the damage would be so extensive and the work would be so extensive. “It’s frustrating,” says the 43-year-old operator. In the fall, the café team noticed that the heating was no longer working. The reason: a burst water pipe.
A heating pipe was broken and water was leaking out – and apparently for a long period of time. “Because the area under the kitchen does not have a basement, the water damage went unnoticed for a long time,” explains Hain.
Water damage forces café in Fulda to take a long break
The water caused immense damage. Insulation, beams and plasterboard walls were affected. “The floor was drilled out, walls were torn down, the electrical system was dismantled,” says Anna Hain. The drying took a very long time. The damage is difficult to quantify. “But it’s certainly hundreds of thousands of euros,” says the woman from Fulda.
The whole thing is an insured event. This is also why the work is taking longer. “In addition to various trades and craftsmen, we have to coordinate closely with the owner with appraisers and experts. In addition, as soon as a craftsman starts, a new problem comes to light. That's really getting to the point,” admits Hain.
Café Glück has been closed since December 1st. “We wanted to reopen on March 1st, then May 1st and now that will most likely not happen. We hope to be able to reopen by Hessentag in June. Otherwise it would be a catastrophe.”
The Christmas and Easter business has already collapsed. “There is a lack of income. But that doesn’t mean we have to close completely,” emphasizes Anna Hain. The positive: The twelve permanent employees – Café Glück is normally open seven days a week – are covered by loss of income insurance and receive full wages. This is only partially the case with the 18 temporary workers. Anna Hain hopes “that we won’t lose any staff”.
The café owner is combative
Café Glück wants to come back – and should retain its charm: “The current state will be restored.” The feedback from guests was predominantly positive. “We receive a lot of lovely messages, including from guests from out of town, who like it so much that they stop by Café Glück every time they visit Fulda.” Hain says: “We remain optimistic and have even hired a new pastry chef.”
The 43-year-old native of Fulda fulfilled her dream of owning a café in Fulda's city center twelve years ago. Café Glück has been around since December 2013. After gaining experience as a trained hotel manager in London, Dubai and Hamburg, she “came up with the idea of opening a small café in which I bake the cake myself. I never expected that it would become so big and that I would have such a large and great team.” She is combative: “It's really annoying that it's taking so long. But we're optimistic. We're up for it!”
Meanwhile, something has happened in the neighborhood: at the beginning of March there was a… new concept store for women's fashion at Friedrichstrasse 9 opened its doors. Feinsinn and Letitia combined their strengths.
