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From Steffen Gerhardt
Some Horka residents wanted to know for sure: GP Jens Drahonovsky is giving up his store in the former German House and closing down. "That's not true," the GP replies to the rumor circulating in the village.
The store will remain in Horka, but Drahonovsky is no longer the owner. "Since this month, the business has been in the hands of Antje Biehain. I have retired from the store due to time constraints," explains the GP succinctly. In June, Jens Drahonovsky plans to open a group practice in the new service center in Kodersdorf. There is still a lot to do for this. He also has to move out of his previous practice in Rothenburg by then.
Although being a boss is new territory for Antje Biehain, the store is not. She was one of the three employees when Horka got a store for everyday goods back in June 2017. Since then, Horka has been selling in the store. A profession she is familiar with. Before moving back to her home town, she worked as a saleswoman at a bakery stall.
Gastronomy remains in-house
The 42-year-old trained as a restaurant specialist. This profession comes in handy in her second job in the store. In addition to selling goods, there is a restaurant in the next room. A hot meal is freshly cooked every day from Monday to Friday. Alternatively, something "quick" is also available as a snack. In this way, a tradition lives on in the Deutsches Haus, which was once a restaurant and dance hall. The women also have a kitchen at their disposal to cater for their guests.
The new boss assures us that it will stay that way, as an average of a dozen guests eat their lunch here or pick it up every day. "We've also had 30 guests here, but that only works if you order in advance," reports Antje Biehain. This is because lunch is usually served until the pots are empty.
No change in the offer
Antje Biehain assures guests that just as the kitchen will remain the same, so will the range of goods. Fresh fruit and vegetables from the Rothenburg company Marktfrisch will continue to be used. The meat and sausages come from Weißwasser and Gebelzig. Only the selection of bakers has increased; whereas there were initially two bakeries supplying fresh baked goods, there is now more variety at the bakery stall throughout the week. "We mainly have customers who prefer their rolls, bread or cakes from a particular bakery, and we can now cater to this to a greater extent."
Antje Biehain is alluding to one of the advantages of a corner store: the individual response to customer wishes. If a product is not available on the shelf, it is ordered for the customer. Bringing a crate of water or beer to elderly customers is also part of the service. This doesn't just apply to drinks, but also to what the kitchen has to offer. "We also have requests for buffets for celebrations," adds Antje Biehain.
The idea of a village store
All of this makes it clear that the Horka store offers more than just the daily fare. Jens Drahonovski is happy that he was able to find a successor from his own ranks - and customers are pleased that they can continue to shop in Horka. The idea of a village store had been on Jens Drahonovski's mind since 2011, after he had acquired the German House the year before. The first step was for the baker from Spre to set up a branch with a snack bar here. But no one wanted to put on the hat for their own store, so the doctor had no choice but to take the business into his own hands.
Since then, a supply gap has closed again in Horka. But the village is not quite so poor in stores. It has a bakery, a hairdresser, a flower store with a post office and a garden center. The question remains, what does the new boss want from her customers? "That they continue to be loyal to us, that's the most important thing."
