Convenience and community with a “k” – the kiosks of Cologne

Kiosks have a special place in Cologne life. Known as Büdchen (or Büdche) in the local vernacular, they’re the beating heart of the local neighbourhood. And, like everything these days, the Büdchen they are a-changing. First-rate coffee, pizza, natural wine: established staples like bags of sweets and bottles of beer are being joined by new kids on the kiosk block. Experimental, traditional, dependable, easy-going: Cologne’s Büdchen can do it all.

Neighbourly: Zum Nachbar’s Eck (Ehrenfeld district)

Furkan Erdemli’s kiosk is a true corner shop, located in a working-class area a stone’s throw from the bustling thoroughfare that is Venloer Straße. The 28-year-old took over the kiosk during Covid in a “spur-of-the-moment decision”, as he puts it.

The decision may have been random but the location wasn’t. Furkan grew up in the neighbourhood and he knows his customers by name. He’s even taken black and white photos of many of them and used them to decorate the walls. So the inside of the kiosk is a symbol of what every Büdchen symbolises from the outside too: convenience and community.

That’s what Furkan is all about and his customers love him for it. If the queue’s too long and they grab a couple of bottles out of the fridge with an “I’ll pay later!” Furkan’s reply is, “OK, Olli!” If they turn up with four huge parcels on a handcart, his response is, “No problem, bring them in.” Or if a father wants to show his eight-year-old the hearing aids behind Furkan’s ears because his son has just got some too, Furkan tells him, “I was little when I got mine too – just like you!”

The grapevine’s been busy though and everyone knows Furkan will soon be starting a new chapter of his life. He wants to do something different. But he’ll make sure the kiosk is in good hands before he goes – he knows people are counting on him.

Must-try: A take-away kölsch beer for anyone looking to go clubbing on the outskirts of Ehrenfeld (at Schrotty or Fi) or enjoy the afternoon sun on the bench in front of the kiosk.
Soundtrack: AnnenMayKantereit – Tommi
Opening hours: 9am to 11pm. At the weekend, the kiosk doesn’t open until 10am but it often stays open past 11pm.
Address: Helmholtzstraße 62, 50825 Cologne

Vegan: Fritzi* (Vogelsang district)

Venture into the outermost corner of this industrial estate in Vogelsang and you’ll have the pleasure of discovering Cologne’s first-ever vegan kiosk. With its functional, simple exterior, Fritzi* (part of vegan catering firm Hempies) is the perfect place to find a moment of calm with vegan lunches, baked goods and a superb selection of ramen, nibbles, sweets and cold drinks.

Subtle veganism in a kiosk format: “The food’s delicious so everyone’s happy”, says Josie. The 26-year-old’s cooking and product range are a big hit with children, who come for the sweets, which are also vegan (and thus halal). But her happy customers also include people who work nearby as well as students and teachers from the three schools in the area. If you’re travelling out of the busy Ehrenfeld district on your bike, this Büdchen is a great spot to grab a bite to eat before heading off for the afternoon. Perhaps to the city’s outer green belt?

Cologne’s main football stadium is just a few kilometres away. The route takes you via a bright orange bike bridge right behind the kiosk. The bridge’s ramp has a space-saving, zigzag design, adding to the experience of crossing the four-lane Militärring road.

Must-try: Quick-cook kimchi ramen if you’re in a hurry.
Soundtrack: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5
Opening hours: Closed Friday to Sunday. Monday to Thursday, 7.30am to 4pm.
Address: Am Wassermann 1, 50829 Cologne
www.hempies-vegan.de

Hip: King Georg coffee bar Büdchen (Agnesviertel district)

This kiosk stands alone on the pedestrian avenue that branches off from Ebertplatz square. You’d be well-advised to stay clear if all the hype around coffee beans, fair trade, barista skills and artisan coffee roasting is enough to make you come out in a rash because Niklas and his team sell coffee in every form possible. Small, big, tall and short, with lemonade over ice in the summer, lashings of milk or just a dash (plant-based, if you like), shipped by boat and with a surcharge of 1 euro that goes to the cooperative they’re setting up.

With ten different kinds of bean, roasted at zwoo in the city’s Ehrenfeld neighbourhood, they span the globe. Coffee nerd insights, so-good-you-want-to-drink-it latte art and the occasional DJ set in summer come included.

“We always say our aim is to create impact that people like the taste of,” says kiosk manager Niklas, 25, while he serves Adrienne, a management consultant, and Yule, a lawyer. Their mental health walk every lunchtime takes them from their home offices to the kiosk. “We started doing it during Covid and just kept it up”, Adrienne tells us.

Like most regulars, they drink their coffee standing but from a glass or cup, as is the proper way. A mini-break across from the concrete landscape of Ebertplatz. “We really are like a little island in the middle of the road”, Niklas says.

Must-try: Finding the perfect coffee blend. (Good luck!)
Soundtrack: Bläck Fööss – Kaffebud
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Opens at 10am on weekends and public holidays
Address: Sudermanstraße 2, on the pedestrian avenue in the middle of the road, 50670 Cologne
www.zwookaffee.de

Classy: Büdchen am Südpark (Marienburg district)

The Büdchen at Marienburg’s Südpark surely has the most upmarket location of any kiosk in Cologne. It’s next to a bus terminus and they often mean you’re on the outskirts. This one, however, is in an exclusive residential area. It serves as a sort of convenience store for the wealthy inhabitants (supplying coffee to go or to drink at a table outside, newspapers, wine, beer, champagne, sweets, fresh bread rolls and Neapolitan pizza). But it’s more than that.

For the people of Marienburg, who tend to keep themselves to themselves, it offers a meeting place and one that’s become pretty popular. Part of that is down to the staff. “Without us, it would just be a boring old bus stop”, says Denis, 34, with a chuckle. A trained hotel manager, he jokingly refers to himself as a “Büdchenmanager”.

Denis runs the kiosk. The financial backing for him and his team comes from three young locals, who own the kiosk. It’s definitely worth a visit even if you’re coming from somewhere else. The surrounding architecture is as awe-inspiring as the prosperity of those who built and own it is evident.

Equipped with pizza and bubbly (or any of the other chilled drinks they sell), you can while away the hours in the small garden behind the kiosk. And Südpark, which has a playground for children, starts right next to it.

Must-try: Authentic Neapolitan pizza (made with dough that’s proofed for 48 hours!) with Amalfi lemons
Soundtrack: Francesco Wilking – Il mio Bungalow
Opening hours: Closed Mondays; 8am to 8pm all other days
Address: Am Südpark 0, 50968 Cologne
www.buedchen.world

Traditional: Schumachers Büdchen (aka “Fred”, city centre)

“Parcels? No, no space!” says Karl-Heinz. His small kiosk is located on the city’s ring road and cultivating community spirit is not the main function here. He serves customers through a small hatch, against a crowded backdrop of the standard kiosk products: chilled drinks, tobacco, snacks, sweets and ice creams.

Karl-Heinz has been running what’s surely the oldest kiosk in the city for 40 years. So he was here back when the ring road was still very much in the hands of pimps who made their money from the labour – and often the misery – of prostitutes. If you ask, it doesn’t take long for him to start telling you about the old days.

He likes it when the young folk come at the weekend. Their visits tend to be laid-back and cheerful. “Then I get to hear about what’s going on in their lives too”, he tells us.

The fact that his Büdchen hasn’t really got a name doesn’t seem to bother him. The locals call it the “Fred-Kiosk”. But the eponymous sponsor recently stopped paying so Karl-Heinz has replaced the sign bearing his name.

Must-try: “Bummsschorle”
Soundtrack: Veedel Kaztro – Kölsch Kippe Lederjacke
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday until 8pm; unspecified closing time at the weekends
Address: Beethovenstraße, on the corner of Hohenstaufenring, 50674 Cologne

Dynamic: Hin & Weg (Rathenauplatz square)

Moving south from Cologne’s Belgian Quarter, you come to Rathenauplatz square. Situated where it is, among the streets of the city’s Neustadt neighbourhood (opposite the synagogue), its size is surreally large and it’s a good place for a short break on your way to the next district.

In one of the residential blocks that line the square’s perimeter, there’s a kiosk that the three friends Carlo, Max and Lucas took a liking to in December 2024. They’re a cheerful bunch and perhaps that’s why this little shop is so big on charisma.

The interior design is quite minimalist so it doesn’t really come from that. But they have put together a range that’s full of love for extra special products: on-trend natural wines, other tipples from German and Austrian wine growers, Bavarian, Italian and local beers, freshly baked goods, pistachio-filled croissants and coffee from a machine that Max says is “colossal but that’s what we wanted”.

For the three friends, loving produce and being business-minded aren’t mutually exclusive. They’re planning a wine bottled especially for their Büdchen, an espresso roast based on their specific criteria and perhaps more events and catering.

At the moment, they still have other jobs too. But just like the kiosk “sort of happened”, it’s equally possible it will spawn more projects in the future. For the time being, though, Max is looking forward to their first Hin und weg summer: “We know how the locals like a drink or two.”

Must-try: Mouth Propaganda ice cream
Soundtrack: Querbeat – Randale und Hurra
Opening hours: 8.30am to 9pm; opens 9.30am at the weekends
Address: Meister-Gerhard-Straße 1, 50674 Cologne
www.instagram.com/hinundwegkoeln

Nostalgic: RheinBüdchen (Altstadt district)

Just got off the train at the central station and need to find your bearings? Leave the crowded Altstadt district behind you, move further away from the cathedral (which gives you a better view of it anyway) and make your way to the banks of the River Rhine (leaving the station at the Breslauer Platz end and turning right at the roundabout towards the river).

Relax, take in the view and watch the passers-by. There’s no better way of attuning to the Cologne feeling. And then there’s the RheinBüdchen right next to you to provide the beverage or snack of your choice. Plus a little nostalgia.

Its rounded corners and overhanging roof are typical of the architecture of Germany’s “economic miracle” era. It was built in 1951, listed as a protected building in 2022 and refurbished and reopened in Easter 2024. As co-manager Markus puts it, “It’s just a lovely little kiosk!”

His mum is his boss by the way. “She’s been looking after the boats for 30 years”, the 22-year-old tells us, pointing at the adjacent landing stage. The family business’s river trips start here and the kiosk, which is now part of the business, is like a branch office of the ticket booth next to it.

Further downstream is the landing stage for cruise ships. When they arrive, groups of visitors from around the globe pour out towards the cathedral and the old part of the city. If it’s raining, some of them seek shelter beneath the kiosk’s roof. Not the worst place to wait.

“It’s a nice place to work”, says Markus. And, yes, he has a few tips for those who have no idea where to head first. The cable car isn’t far, the zoo, cathedral and the old part of town – surely that should help you soak up the vibe in what is (according to the local stadium announcer) “the most beautiful city in the world”?

Must-try: A trip on the Müllemer Böötche boat to the other side of the Rhine
Soundtrack: Burnt Friedman, Jaki Liebezeit – Rhein rauf
Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm
Address: Trankgassenwerft, 50668 Cologne
www.koelntourist.net/kiosk