A CHAT WITH TILL BENNER, FOUNDER OF RETABLO COFFEE
Our most favorite place at Schifferstraße, when not a the showroom, has certainly become Retablo Coffee. A local boutique coffee store, offering great beverages during the day and sometimes even events in the afternoon, snacks and brillant people to connect with. Run by Till Benner, Founder of Retablo. We sat down with him to speak about his great concept as a fantastic addition to the neighborhood.
What does the name "Retablo" stand for and what is the concept behind it?
Retablo is an art-related term that refers to the area behind an altar in a church. The association with church architecture came about due to Aberja's high ceiling on the ground floor and the arches in the basement. The names that came to mind all sounded quite clumsy, and when I heard "Retablo," I thought, "that's it." Fun fact: Up until that point, Aberja had no knowledge that I, quite unusually in our generation, identify with the Christian faith. Because it holds such significance in my life, it naturally influences the café and the underlying vision of serving the neighborhood through excellence, simplicity, and hospitality. The name fits all the more perfectly.
How did the design and color concept for your Café-Aperitivo Bar come about?
In fact, the architects from Aberja had complete creative freedom with the design and color concept. I provided a lot of input about my functional needs—height of the work area, accessibility of all devices in a small step to be able to run the bar alone, and preferably overcoming the barrier that often arises between the guest and the host. The curvature of the counter managed this quite well, and the counter's height, initially intended for me to finally work comfortably, ultimately led to the effect that many guests simply stand at the counter like in an Italian espresso bar. This wasn't directly planned, but it's nice that it turned out that way.
What brought you to 'Brückenviertel', and what do you appreciate most about your neighborhood and the iconic Sachsenhausen district?
My presence in Sachsenhausen was more of a "coincidence." I had lived in the neighborhood myself and had come to greatly appreciate and love it because, unlike the other side of the Main River, it really feels like a true neighborhood. Over there you work, and in Sachsenhausen, you live. Thus, Sachsenhausen had always been a preferred district for me. In truth, I was quite desperate, with the initiative of some friends who acted as investors, searching for locations but not finding anything. In Frankfurt, many spaces pass from one restaurateur to another and rarely end up on platforms, at least the really good ones. I had inquired about the distribution of espresso machines from the American manufacturer in the Rhein-Main region, and Rawa Amin, the former owner of Bohnerie, had recently taken over the distribution. I had expressed my frustration to him at the time about not finding a space, and when the premises of the current café were offered to him less than a month later, but he couldn't take it on, he brought up my name.
The impression I had of Sachsenhausen at the time is confirmed, and that's what I like about Sachsenhausen: close-knit community, that neighborhood feeling, and young, international families that are inspiring.