"The mayor of ingolstadt liked the mix in the coburg market hall", assures sebastian hofmann. Just like the mayor of ingolstadt, who visited coburg in july on the occasion of the bavarian city convention, the new managing director of markthalle coburg gmbh has a decisive advantage: he is not from coburg and therefore has an unbiased view, which can only be of use to him in his function.
After his first three months, hofmann is already familiar with the criticism of the concept of the market hall, which in coburg has been unshakeable practically from the moment of its opening. From a marketing point of view, however, he doesn't find criticism bad, on the contrary. "I think it's important to keep talking, whether it's positive or negative, he says. Everyone has an opinion on the subject anyway. "Even if the people only come here to vent, the main thing is that they are there."
With "marco play"
Of course, hofmann has also had the idea that it could simply be due to the name. Everyone has their own expectations of a market hall. One person might have in mind a food temple like the ones in european big cities, the other thinks back to coburg's first failed attempt to establish a market hall in steinweg.
Hofmann can only confirm this: "I got the impression, especially in the early days, that the expectations were completely different." but he understands such criticism. "The people are right, this is not a classic market hall. Obviously it was difficult to get the right people for it. But we still want to hold on to the designation." internally, the market hall will gladly "marco" shortened. The term can be played with, because one does not immediately think of the classic market hall. "Nevertheless, our logo remains, also to signal continuity."
Which is not to say that nothing will change in the market hall. After sebastian hofmann initially had to worry about organizational matters ("it took longer than i would have liked"), he is now looking back on his first failed attempt!"), he can now work off the most urgent points.
When hofmann joined the team, the chocolaterie "liaison au chocolat" moved in just on own request from the separate rooms in zinkenwehr 1 to the market hall. A new tenant is now being sought for the vacant building. The original plan was for the pop-up store "die gute stube will use the rooms until the end of the year. "Unfortunately, they found another object", regrets sebastian hofmann. Now the store in zinkenwehr 1 is coming to market a little earlier. When choosing a new tenant, he wanted to be open and flexible, says hofmann, but it had to be someone to whom customers would go specifically. Experience with the chocolaterie has shown that it is difficult to attract walk-in customers in this location. "We give this to the interested parties, because we naturally want to have someone in it in the long term."
The second construction site is the currently abandoned stand of the distillery mobus. Hofmann was happy to set up a wine bar in the corner with the operator rainer mobus for the evening after work. "Many have approached me and asked for it. Apparently the people of coburg like to meet for a drink." unfortunately he could not win rainer mobus for it anymore. "But I want to stick to the plan", says hofmann, who himself comes from the gastronomy/hotel industry. However, he wants to take his time for a new concept. "I hope that by the end of the year we will be able to say where we are going." but one thing should happen immediately: "we install a timer for the lighting, so that the corner is no longer so dark. That already upgrades the whole thing a bit."
What has changed in the market hall??
Background the market hall is a project of stadtische wohnbau. Since july 2018 the managing director of the operating company is sebastian hofmann. Its forerunner, werner hafele from winnenden, is "only still a shareholder. Opening of the market hall was in september 2017.
Tenants the market hall currently has five tenants: the nahrstedt bakery, jasmin franz's fashion shop and the chocolaterie "liaison au chocolat" directly in the market hall. The "san geladona" ice cream parlor and the "michido" restaurant have separate rooms, but also belong to it. In the beginning were still the "genussreich and represented the mobus distillery, but they have since given up their stands.
Events the communal area in the back of the market hall has been completed. It can provide additional seating for the michido restaurant, but can also be used for events – see report at left.
Albertsplatz on albertsplatz and along the facade of the market hall, there are seating options for all visitors and customers of the market hall.