For the benefit! There are more than 3300 pubs in Berlin Photo: Charles Yunck
By Johannes Malinowski
A cozy after-work beer in the pub on the corner: this is still possible in many places in Berlin!
If you look at the figures from the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Berlin, the number of pubs is steadily increasing: from 2117 in 2015 to 3302 in 2021. This includes not only corner pubs, but also other bars and restaurants.
DEHOGA boss Thomas Lengfelder (63) is optimistic. “Established pubs are experiencing a real renaissance,” he says.
They have two advantages: the same employees have often always worked at the counter – including the boss. In addition, they live less from tourism than from the people in the neighborhood.
On average, there are 2,500 gastronomy openings in Berlin every year – but just as many closures. “You try things out and what doesn’t work closes again,” says the gastro boss.
Another assessment: the audience is becoming more female! “I have observed that the proportion of women has increased in recent years,” says Lengfelder. The image of beer drinking and smoking bars for men is changing.