First real Bagel shop by „La Manufacture“ opens in Basel city centre
The first real bagel-shop owned by „La Manufacture“ is to open next week in Basel city centre. The restaurant, started by a group of entrepreneurs from Gundeli, is focusing on homemade food with a focus on bagels for its new branch.
If the round pastry with a hearty filling is a symbol for a global city, Basel can feel connected to this circle. The “La Manufacture” restaurant in Gundeli is to open its first shop at Elisabethenstrasse, offering bagels, tartines and breakfast.
While the main restaurant focuses mainly on burgers, there are no plans to serve them at the branch in Elisabethenstrasse, shop operator Gael Di Giusto told barfi.ch. This would mean it had the same concept as the restaurant at Hochstrasse in Gundeli, he added.
A smaller shop as a supplement
„The location is ideal for us, since „La Manufacture“ was looking for a smaller supplementary shop,” Mr di Giusto said. The restaurant has been operating at the former Gundeldingerhof since April 2016.
Dark windows in regional asylum centres: Many empty places but no refugees
An almost empty Federal asylum centre in Muttenz and an empty container village for refugees at Dreispitz. Basel is prepared for the refugee crisis but the refugees do not come. At least in Basel another use for these buildings has not been excluded.
The container village at Dreispitz is a real gem: The settlement looks like a brand new residential area. However, the windows of the “residence for refugees” remain mostly dark. The settlement, built on space occupied by the public transport company at Münchensteinerstrasse, cost 12 million franks and will soon be replaced by the “settlement at Walkeweg”.
The manager of social care, Nicole Wagner, admitted to barfi.ch that, currently, the container settlement is not used to capacity. “The current asylum centre is due to be emptied step by step and those living there will be transferred to the migration centre (at Dreispitz), the use of which will rise in the next months,” she said.
Half empty Federal centres
The container village, with enough space for 300 people, has been ready to receive residents since January. Only half of the village is to be filled with refugees while the other half will serve as a “free space” for asylum seekers, especially for those with families. Only 38 out of 141 available places are currently occupied.
There are 500 places available at the largest refugee centre in Switzerland, in Muttenz. However, it is also not fully occupied. Although the Federal Office for Migration has not provided detailed figures, the centre may currently be only half full. However, the majority of houses built on this area, which was previously a truck terminal, cost 4000 franks each yet remain dark and empty.
The cantonal bank of Baselland (BLKB) reduces counter services
The cantonal bank of Baselland (BLKB) is to reduce its counter services and invests in online services, a statement announced on Friday.
One out of bank’s 23 branches is to be closed entirely, and the traditional counters in a further seven are to go. No staff are expected to lose their jobs in the move, the statement said. Currently the bank has 22 branches throughout the canton, as well as one for its customers in Basel-Stadt, as well as a mobile bank which serves six villages.
A statement issued by the bank announced that, in the future, only 18 branches will have employees. The branch at Reigoldswil, which is currently operating with reduced services, is to be closed down completely with only the cash machine remaining.
In addition the branches in Lausen, Füllinsdorf, Birsfelden, and Münchenstein will become self-service only, with cash machines and video conferencing services for live consultations, which will be provided on prior arrangement. The three branches in Liestal, Arlesheim, and Binningen are to be classified as “consultation banks with central services”. The second class of served “consultation banks” with machines and video consultation is to exist at 15 branches, including the special branch in Basel-Stadt, although the entire spectrum of services will not be offered.
Only ten branches in the canton to have counter service
According to the media release, counter services will be provided at 7 out of 15 branches – those in Allschwil, Laufen, Muttenz, Therwil, Gelterkinden, Oberdorf, Reinach. There are no plans to provide a traditional counter service at seven further branches in Aesch, Breitenbach, Bubendorf, Ettingen, Oberwil, Pratteln, and Sissach.
The branches are to be rebuilt in a project expected to last until 2021, the statement from BLKB said. The plans for transformation would be continuously supervised. A spokesperson for the bank said these plans could be adjusted according to developments.
According to the media release, this will cost in the region of “a middle two digit million number” which could be translated into 30-40 million franks.
Staff training will be adjusted and there will be no job losses, according to the bank. A spokesman said that fewer staff will be needed at the counters but will instead be needed more for consultations.
On 24 February, the bank reported a loss in its turnover for 2016. Business success decreased by 4.1 per cent to 183.4 million franks, and the income by 0.9 to 368.3 millions. The net profit however rose by 2.4 per cent to 133.6 million franks due to lower reserves.