Former Café Guglhupf Location in Munich’s Old Town Closes After Less Than a Year
Munich, May 5, 2026 – The gastronomic ventures that took over the historic Café Guglhupf location at Kaufingerstraße 5, near Marienplatz, have ceased operations after less than a year. The ambitious concept, which involved three distinct businesses sharing the space, ultimately failed to thrive, leading to the closure of “Zum Herzkindl,” “Stazione di Aperitivo,” and “Marienplatzalm.”
Initial plans for the location involved a multi-concept approach, with “Zum Herzkindl” operating as a café, “Stazione di Aperitivo” as a bar, and “Marienplatzalm” offering a unique dining experience. However, according to Konstantin Graf von Keyserlingk, one of the operators, the plans simply “did not work out.”
Challenges Leading to Closure
The operators, including Konstantin Graf von Keyserlingk and Michael Faltenbacher, had secured a two-and-a-half-year lease with an option for extension. However, the landlord, Dibag, had already informed the previous tenant, Café Guglhupf, that the building was slated for demolition at some point in the future. Despite this, the successors had hoped for a longer tenure.
One of the first setbacks occurred in early November when Stefanie Brunner, the operator of “Zum Herzkindl” café, departed. While Brunner declined to comment on the reasons at the time, von Keyserlingk now states that the parties “simply did not harmonize” and there were too many points of contention. It quickly became apparent that sharing the ground-floor premises was “not a viable model.” The departure of the café also removed a significant part of the original concept, which the bar could only partially compensate for, as “Stazione di Aperitivo” was designed for evening operations.
A second major issue, according to von Keyserlingk, was unexpected complaints from residents regarding noise. Despite initial communications suggesting otherwise, police were called multiple times as early as 7 PM due to excessive noise. This quickly demonstrated that Kaufingerstraße was “not the right place” for their bar concept. While the “Marienplatzalm” on the first floor, also operated by von Keyserlingk, performed well, a gastronomic business solely focused on cheese fondue during winter months could not sustain the entire operation.
Future of the Location and Operators
The premises at Kaufingerstraße 5 are now vacant indefinitely. While the multi-concept at this specific location has failed, it is not a complete end for von Keyserlingk’s “Alm” and bar concepts. He plans to reopen the “Gärtnerplatzalm” in the Glockenbachviertel this autumn, at Corneliusstraße. Additionally, “Stazione di Bufala” will transform into “Stazione di Aperitivo,” offering warm dishes like Pinsa alongside cold appetizers, similar to the original concept on Kaufingerstraße. The relaunch at the new Glockenbachviertel location is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, starting at 5 PM.
The future of the former Café Guglhupf site remains uncertain. Von Keyserlingk has no influence on Dibag’s decision regarding new tenants, but he is involved in negotiations for potential successors as he still holds a concession that includes the outdoor space on Kaufingerstraße – a concession that is no longer issued as new. He has expressed willingness to transfer this concession.
However, von Keyserlingk also noted that it is unusual for a real estate company to allow interim use when a building is slated for demolition. He emphasized that a gastronomic pop-up, as their experience demonstrated, is always a risk. It appears unlikely that potential successors focusing solely on alcohol sales, such as Giesinger Bräu or the operators of Kneipe 80, would be considered. Von Keyserlingk suggests that a daytime operation, possibly similar to the original Café Guglhupf, might be a more suitable fit. Nevertheless, nothing is confirmed, and the premises will remain empty for the foreseeable future.
