Rapper Sido's Friedrichshain Späti to Close as Rent Rises 50%

"Svenni's Nachtshop", a Späti (late-night convenience store) on Bahnhofstraße in Friedrichshain run by Berlin rapper Sido together with rapper Bozza and business manager Armin Bahari-Darakhshan, is set to close next month after five years in business. Sido revealed the closure in the podcast "Take Me Späti" with host Sara Arslan, explaining that the monthly rent had climbed from €4,000 to €6,000 — a fifty-percent increase — which now outpaces what the shop brings in from everyday product sales. "Können wir uns nicht mehr leisten mit dem Blättchen-Verkauf" (we can no longer afford this on typical store sales), the 45-year-old said. The shop was originally conceived as more than a standard Späti: it launched in June 2021 with a lounge area and a small music studio, drawing visitors from other cities to its opening. Alongside the usual range of beer, cigarettes and sweets, it also stocked snacks from the US and Asia. As for the future, Sido was blunt when asked whether he planned to open another Späti: "Nö" (nope). The closure echoes the fate of other rapper-run Berlin stores: MC Fitti's "Superspäti" in Prenzlauer Berg has also shut, while Lucky's "Lucky's Spätkauf" on Danziger Straße and LockeNumma19's "Savigny World" at Savignyplatz both remain open.