A section of Nuremberg’s Königstraße, one of the city’s busiest commercial streets, has been without electricity for more than two weeks following a basement fire that caused a full power outage in several buildings.
What began as a short-term technical issue has now turned into a prolonged crisis for local cafés, restaurants, and retailers — many of which remain completely closed.
The incident: fire in electrical systems
The blaze broke out on 1 October in the heating and electrical room of a building at the northern end of Königstraße.
According to the Nuremberg Fire Department, a distribution cabinet was the cause.
Three firefighting units with around 40 emergency responders quickly brought the fire under control. No one was injured, but the damage to the power infrastructure was severe enough to disable electricity for the entire building complex.
Since then, the businesses affected have been unable to operate.
Among those forced to close are Auckland Coffee, Vini e Panini, My Hao, Frittenwerk, Gelatissimo Soldan, and the vending kiosk The Späti. Even the Thomas Sabo store remains dark behind its doors. Only a nearby law firm (Rau, Schneck & Hübner) has partial access, operating without power but reachable on foot.
Weeks without customers
When the fire first occurred, many businesses hoped to reopen within days. “We thought we’d only be closed for a day or two,” said a member of staff at one of the cafés.
Now, more than two weeks later, shutters remain down and refrigerators empty. The loss of income — during what would normally be a strong autumn season — is mounting.
For restaurants and cafés, the situation is critical: no refrigeration, no lighting, and no equipment mean complete operational shutdowns. Some owners have already warned that the longer closure continues, the more difficult it will be to recover financially.
Repairs may take until late October
According to current estimates, power restoration will not be possible before 27 October.
The timeline, however, remains uncertain. Utility crews continue to assess the extent of the damage and coordinate replacement parts for the electrical systems.
In a message posted to social media, Vini e Panini expressed cautious optimism: “We hope to be back for you soon,” the team wrote. But patience is wearing thin as the end of the month approaches with no guarantee of a restart.
Economic fallout still unclear
For now, affected businesses are counting losses while waiting for updates from the city’s energy provider. The total financial damage is still difficult to estimate, but for small independent cafés and eateries, even a few weeks without revenue can be devastating.
The Königstraße outage serves as a reminder of how quickly a local technical incident can ripple through an entire business district, leaving entrepreneurs, employees, and customers alike in the dark — literally.
