Coolest place in Lübeck. Thies Molt, owner of Café Baustelle, has every right to make this statement. Coolest place in Lübeck. Full stop. I agree, because this café on Falkenstrasse is so completely different. Crazy. Almost stylish in an austere, northern German way. Just like Thies. A man who says of himself that he slipped into nightlife when he grew up in the area around the central bus station. A connoisseur of the Lübeck pub and club scene, who started in 1986 with the “Belmondo” at the train station and then ran the “99 Club” for almost 20 years until it had to close and make way for a new building. Now in good weather he makes his guests happy with coffee and pastries freshly created by his “cake ladies”, with “Rock Dog”, with poetry slam and sometimes with karaoke.
Coffee party in the disco
He did not plan this new format. He wanted to open a new club in March 2020 in the former industrial building of a construction company. Rock and party from 21.00 – 06.00. Then came the pandemic. – “a bitter pill” – and he was left with the question of “what next”? Giving up was not an option. Anyone who gets to know Thies Molt immediately senses that he is a hands-on person who doesn’t let anything get him down. Within a few weeks, the courtyard in front of the industrial hall was transformed into an outdoor café with fire baskets, covered seating groups, sofas and a mega wooden swing, with the energetic help and attention to detail of wife Ulrike and daughter Annelie. In August 2020, things got underway. Café Baustelle and pub instead of club.
In the second season, more and more guests come to enjoy freshly baked cake and chill out while keeping the distance: Regular customers, friends and acquaintances from the past 35 club years, people from the SUP station on the Wakenitz river, local residents, but also people who happen to be passing by. The location directly on the water between the historic Old Town with a fantastic view of Lübeck’s church towers and the school garden and the Falkenwiese with its many recreational sports facilities is just ideal. During our chat for Lübeck ZWISCHENZEILEN, we sit in the “Bauhaus” seating area – very popular, by the way, as it is the best place to enjoy the evening sun.
The club now frequently hosts workshops by renowned Lübeck companies. There, between construction site signs and collection cups, you get to think and discuss in a completely different way. The head gets freed. Funny, because everything here is packed with stuff and decoration.
Self service with family connection
I passed the “Baustelle ” rather by chance on my way back from sports and was thrilled right from my first visit. The flea market is a treasure trove for a Seventies girl like me. Not for an upgrade of our apartment. Just for the heart and for the mental trip back to the 1970s. There is so much to look at: there is a painted milk can, like the one that stood in the hallway of my parents’ house and served as an umbrella stand. A telephone with a dial, the popular “Lübeck candlesticks”, which were owned by every self-respecting household in Lübeck. Kitschy decoration. Tools. Nails. Lamps. Kitchen appliance. And where might the UNESCO World Heritage sign have come from?
Kool and the Gang is playing while I sip at my cappuccino “Get down on it“. Not heard for ages. Actually, the guests get the food and drinks inside the club. Yes, actually … However, many stay much longer at the Café Baustelle than they had initially planned. And then an order is also taken at the table and the desired is personally served. The boss likes to sit down and entertain those present with anecdotes and stories. “Customers have to be earned.” is Thies’ credo.
Nirvana-Like at Café Baustelle
Things are uncomplicated and unagitated here. Ideal for a stop with the whole family. “Come as you are“. Not only Kurt Cobain’s invitation (also almost 30 years ago), also Thies ticks like that. He also lets his dry humour shine through on his Café Baustelle Facebook page. There you can find out at any time whether the “Café Baustelle” is open, which delicious pastryis waiting for you and whether there are any weekend events planned. The café is also expected to continue working in the coming weeks, weather permitting. And Thies also already has plans for the outdoor area for the fall and Advent season. The deco deer with silver antlers is already ready….
