Snow White and the Building Authority

The late nineties had faded into the past and the enthusiasm of the new millennium was beginning to wane.

I had graduated from the Technical University of Munich as an architect and decided to stash my Buffalo platforms along with the low-rise jeans in the attic.

But slipping into the black turtleneck of the architecture guild in my late twenties didn’t quite feel right.

The creative spark of my studies had fizzled out in the dusty routine of office life, bogged down by liability clauses and dull government regulations.

I couldn’t muster much excitement for the idea of arguing with the building authority.

So my husband and I surprised our parents with the plan to open a café  with a concept store.