Spätkaufs, or spatis, are late-night stores that dot Berlin’s silver streets like neon charms. ‘Spat kauf ’ translates as ‘late purchase’, and these stores offer up a range of beers, cigarettes, magazines, crinkly bags of erdnussflips (puffed peanuts), sometimes even the internet on ancient computers, and a generous selection of Haribo. There are around 900 spatis in Berlin and their contents are almost always the same, yet each has its own logic. There are family-run spatis, party spatis with techno synced to lasers, spatis with Deutsche Post kiosks, spatis employing drag queens, spatis selling hand-cut fruit, and spatis that host elderly, smoking men at outside tables. Each spati is highly local, servicing a specific intersection of streets, and catering accordingly. And due to the absence of outdoor drinking laws, they’re…
