Königstrasse in Nuremberg: Still closed after fire – businesses in need!

Königstrasse in Nuremberg: Still closed after fire – businesses in need!

There has been an unpleasant standstill on Nuremberg's Königstrasse since the beginning of October. The closure of the building at Königstrasse 2 is due to a fire on October 1st that broke out in the heating and electrical room. A distribution box subsequently put the entire building complex out of operation. Technicians are working around the clock to restore power, but to date there seems to be no certainty whether this will actually be possible from October 27th. Managing director Ingo Chapter of The Späti says that this uncertainty is putting an enormous burden on the affected companies, as the lack of information puts a lot of emotional pressure on them.

Several businesses on Königstrasse are affected by this closure, including Auckland Coffee, Vini e Panini, My Hao, Frittenwerk, Gelatissimo Soldan and the Thomas Sabo branch. The situation is particularly precarious for catering businesses because perishable goods were a major problem. The operators also report unpleasant rumors that have arisen due to lifting systems failing. Negative reviews posted on social media due to the closure also contribute to the tense mood.

Fire damage and its consequences

The fire, in which fortunately no one was injured, required the deployment of around 40 firefighters. The extent of the damage led to a total failure of operations at several cafes and restaurants in the area, which are marked as “Temporarily closed” on Google Maps. My Hao posted a message about the widespread power outage on its website, but how long the repair work will take remains unclear. Stores cannot be reached by phone and some operators are trying to keep customers updated via social media. For example, a person in charge at Auckland Coffee said via Instagram video that there was hardly any news at the moment.

Sweet temptations and coffee hits are currently in short supply on Königstrasse. Passers-by notice the closure, but often ignore the temporary closure signs. The general mood is depressed, and many also feel anger about the situation. “Every closed day costs us money,” says Chapter, summing up his concerns. It's time for the city to step up and offer support.

Lack of support from the city

To date, the city has offered no assistance, neither to chapters nor to the other affected businesses. The city argues that this is a private law matter because the building in question is not municipal. The situation is still frustrating for the business owners affected, because an offer from the city to talk would have been really helpful at this critical time.

Nuremberg will record a total of 108 power outages for 2025, with 24 outages already reported in October. This is less than in 2024, when there were a total of 88 failures, but the wounds on Königstrasse are obviously deep. The business owners now hope that the power supply will be restored quickly and that they will be able to open their businesses again soon.

Overall, it remains to be seen when the affected businesses will be able to open their doors again. The people on Königstrasse are counting on the reconstruction to go quickly and smoothly, because nothing is more damaging to business than longer closure times. In the next few days, everyone involved will have to look for solutions together in order to put this unfortunate episode behind them and get back to being a lively small town with its finger on the pulse of events.

Meanwhile, it is important for residents and visitors to Königstrasse to support the affected businesses as soon as it is possible again. Business has the potential to bounce back quickly if the challenges of power outage and brand damage can be overcome.

Northern Bavaria reports the situation, as well t online. Detailed power outage statistics for Nuremberg can be found at power outage.org see.