It was only supposed to be two hours, but suddenly the street lamps began to light up and hurrying shadows passed in the early evening behind the large glass windows of the café. It's one of those places where time stood still while the day passed outside. Just like in a bubble, away from the big loud world, this little café rests on a side street in the old town of Görlitz. In the morning it was still quiet everywhere. A cloudy Sunday in January. Three young women work in the half-open kitchen on an arched counter just outside the front door. The café is still empty, too early for Sunday. Owner Nancy Scholz greets us with a smile and prepares a cappuccino for us, on the foam of which she has painted a bear. There are days when she paints jellyfish, penguins or cats. "The coffee machine is the heart of the café," she explains. At a barista course in Dresden, she learned all the tricks for making coffee, and she passes on her extensive knowledge to her staff. Some visitors sometimes wonder why their coffee takes a little longer. But Nancy thinks of a quick takeaway coffee. Her motto is "Slow- and Soulfood". After all, it's the lovely details that make this place just such a bubble. The final sight of the milk foam artwork will eventually appease even those customers who were under time pressure before.

A golden sofa for all

It's not hard to feel at home here. A golden ceiling is emblazoned over the interior. Nancy really wanted this one when she renovated the space four years ago. She bought most of the furniture second hand. Warm sounds from world music to jazz bubble from the speakers. In the back, there's a room with large tables for sewing classes. Behind it is a terrace, for those warm summer days. The golden sofa, which stands majestically in the middle of the front room, she bought in Berlin. "Which personalities have sat on it?" she asks one of the first customers to enter the café that morning. The owner seems to know him; there is a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere - almost like in a large living room where everyone knows each other. "Here you can let the world be the world," Nancy says, and continues, "Some people who have never been here before come in, sit down, and wait for their coffee first. And then they sit and wait and look - there's so much to discover here," she says, gushing, "Sometimes the whole café is talking, it's so nice." Nancy talks quickly and a lot, and people like to listen to her. Authentic and unselfconscious, she talks about her life as if we've known each other for a long time. Every now and then she sips her mango juice spritzer. It's not far-fetched that she addresses all her guests as "Du". An elderly lady once complained about this, but when Nancy explained to her that the "Du" was her way of showing appreciation, since everyone here in this café is a part of it, the visitor felt honored.

Like an Italian family

Some years ago, Nancy Scholz, a trained automotive saleswoman, wanted to make a fresh start and decided to open a café. The idea of Café Herzstück was born, which opened its doors in February 2015. After a process of finding a name, it was clear to Nancy: "It's my Herzstück." The 30-year-old is all about "emotions, depth, arriving and enjoying, doing what makes the heart sing." When it started, everything was there except the wooden spoons. Half their kitchen migrated to the café at that time. The team focuses on loving togetherness, and the cornerstones of communication and clarity are important here. "I need people who are honest with themselves and also say sometimes when they're not having a good day, so we can adjust to each other better," says Nancy Scholz. To some guests, she may not look like a typical boss. She's wearing a flowered dress and large brown-rimmed glasses, her blonde hair pinned up with a few strands falling down the sides. An Indian bindi is emblazoned on her forehead; her personal symbol of protection. In the meantime, Nancy has assembled a team of eight with whom she is happy: "It feels like an Italian family, only we're not Italian and we're not related to each other," she says with a laugh and disappears into the kitchen.

They cook their own food, and the menu includes porridge, vegan burgers, pasta dishes and a dish of the day. At lunchtime, the place fills up. This Sunday there is a vegetable lentil curry with millet, in the cake showcase enthroned colorful vegan creations such as raspberry cream rhubarb cake or chocolate lavender blueberry cake. From business people to knitting seniors or students, a wide variety of characters are drawn to Herzstück every day. Today, it's mainly middle-aged people who are quietly drinking their café, reading a newspaper, or have ordered the steaming curry. In addition to the allergen-free and vegan-friendly label, the eatery is committed to sustainability. This includes social sustainability, such as respectful coexistence, as well as straws made of paper instead of plastic, and terrycloth towels are available in the restroom. The team usually gets the vegetables fresh from the market. Sometimes customers bring in apples or pumpkins. Soon, the restaurant will expand. Then there will be homemade vegan ice cream. Nancy has rented the room next door - an old warehouse - for this purpose. She seems relaxed: "The café takes away all your facets and you can just be yourself." Happy laughter can be heard in the kitchen, the golden couch is newly occupied, evening is coming, while there is a smell of vegetable curry. The time in front of the glass window creeps away, but in the Café Herzstück it stopped for a short moment.

Josephine Antrack is an employee at Café Herzstück. She is studying social work at the Zittau-Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. She loves the warmth of the people at the café and prefers being at work to being at university. She likes her work so much that she did not have the heart to leave in February 2018. She has learned to become more equanimous and take things as they are. Josefines best friend is from Poland and she also likes the proximity to the neighboring country. She likes living in Görlitz because she is close to her family here and there is a lake. She also likes the manageable size of the city. Her favorite cake is chocolate-mango-apple. Her recommendation is the turmeric latte - it's warm and toughens you up in the cold season.

Languages: German, Polish, English

Currency: Euro, Zloty

Philosophy: sustainable, vegetarian, vegan, allergy friendly, organic, seasonal, regional, barrier free, child friendly

Card payment: from 10 Euro (EC)

WiFi: On request

Specials: Terrace in the backyard, breakfast until 6 p.m.; Vegan wedding cakes on order Cakes, pies (vegan, partly gluten-free)

Brunch: Every 2nd and 4th Sunday

Events: Sewing classes, sometimes concerts

Opening hours: Mon 2-6 p.m.; Tue day off; Wed-Fri 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat-Sun 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Web: cafe-herzstueck.de