University Students Open Chemnitz's First Late Night Shop
If you want to check off one or two items on your shopping list, you don’t have to drive to the gas station anymore - thanks to two students Chemnitz possesses a Späti since October 2020, telephone service inclusive.
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Where night owls can strengthen themselves: Anna Vogt (left) and Karin Luz are studying at Chemnitz University of Technology and wanted a Späti in Chemnitz. Now they have opened it themselves in the beginning of October in the Chemnitz’s Sonnenberg district. Photo: Michele Scognamillo -
The Späti is located in the Sonnenberg district of Chemnitz at the corner of Zietenstraße and Jakobstraße. Photo: Isabel Möller
After working in Berlin, Bremen, and Cologne, Anna Vogt and Karin Luz came to Chemnitz University of Technology last year to study for a Master's degree in Intercultural Communication/Intercultural Competence (https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/studium/studiengaenge/master_interkultkommunikation.html). What they loved and got used to from the stores called Spätis (late night shops), which are popular in many big cities, they missed here. These permanently open stores can be especially helpful in student life, such as when you get hungry during late night study sessions. It was immediately clear to both of them: Chemnitz also needs a Späti! And while other students fill their wallets with part-time jobs, the two friends simply opened their own store. Since October 2020, after months of planning and Corona-related delays, Chemnitz' first official Späti is now located in Sonnenberg at the corner of Zietenstraße and Jakobstraße and provides night owls with food and drinks for the night and afterwards. A special feature, however, is not only the Späti itself, but the telephone service called Spätiphone. This allows interested parties to check the product range and availability in advance. In addition, the two students continuously incorporate feedback into their concept.
Späti meets Kiez meeting
Inspired by their course of studies, this project is intended to be more than just a nocturnal shopping opportunity: in addition to snacks, drinks, and hygiene articles, residents and interested parties will also find opportunities for exchange in the two students’ Späti: "Our Späti is intended to become a meeting place for citizens of the city who might never have met in real life," says Karin Luz. "We see our store as a charitable project, we are not interested in profit. In addition, we are planning theme evenings, small concerts, readings and discussion groups." The Chemnitz-based cultural project developer "Klub Solitär" was also convinced by the idea and helped the MA students in their search for the perfect location. This was found faster than expected, because a Späti was open on Jakobstrasse 42 for a short time in May 2018. The store started as a short-term art project called Kiosk and provided its customers with snacks and drinks for a week. Anna and Karin have now breathed new and lasting life into the art action.
Open to all - a place of encounter
After the initial planning in November 2019, Chemnitz's currently only Späti opened its doors on 3 October 2020. To make the store a permanent fixture, the two students asked their customers for help. "The rush for the opening was so great that we took the opportunity and asked the local residents to leave us tips and wishes for the store that went beyond the product range," reports Anna Vogt. The two owners will continue to collect suggestions for improvement on wallpaper, posters, and throw-ins boxes and want to develop the Späti further.
Late, later, Späti - only on certain days, but with telephone service
At the moment the Späti in Sonnenberg is open on Sundays starting at 3 pm and Mondays starting at 6 pm for its customers. In addition to the usual Späti assortment of snacks and drinks, Anna and Karin also offer a warm snack, mainly vegan food. There is always someone on site until midnight, after which the two owners can be reached via the specially set up Spätiphone and provide information on whether or not sales are still going on.
One thing is clear: In order to survive, the new business model needs one thing above all else: support. So if you want more of the big-city feeling of Berlin and want to help Späti become a neighborhood institution, the best thing is to come and visit personally in Sonnenberg. Drinks are always cold and there is plenty to talk about between sips.
(Author: Isabel Möller/Matthias Fejes/Translation: Chelsea Burris)
Matthias Fejes
20.10.2020
