The Otlus' have big plans for a small location

Zeynep and Abdullah Otlu from Cham have been running the legendary kiosk for just over a year. Their sales strategy? A good mood.

The term "microcosm" certainly applies to this location. A significant part of the life of the Cham couple Zeynep (53) and Abdullah (56) Otlu takes place on an estimated two and a half square metres. They’ve been running the kiosk at the lower Postplatz for about a year, which, thanks to its free-standing location, is probably the best-known in the canton of Zug. "And the smallest," notes Abdullah Otlu. He says this with pride, because the small available space requires a lot of organisational skills. A guided tour into and around the lockable stall reveals an astonishing number of storage possibilities.

The kiosk actually shouldn't be there anymore, as was announced three years ago. The city council had big plans for the lower Postplatz, during which, among other things, the kiosk and the parking spaces were to disappear. But nothing came of it.

In any case, the Otlus’ plan to stay around for some time yet. To prevent the chocolate that’s on display from sweating in high temperatures, for example, they want to install a sliding door that will keep the cool air from the installed air conditioning inside the kiosk.

Zeynep and Abdullah Otlu run what is probably the smallest kiosk in the canton of Zug, at the lower Postplatz.

Decades in the Cham paper mill
That the Otlus would take over a kiosk in the autumn of their professional lives was a surprise for themselves as well. Both had previously worked in various other jobs in Cham; Zeynep, for example, worked in the Andreas Clinic for 15 years, while Abdullah spent 35 years in the Cham paper mill. He explains:

"I was one of the last to left the Papieri area before the first buildings were demolished."

A friend told him that the owner of the kiosk in Zug was looking for an operator. And one thing led to another.

The kiosk is not a gold mine, but above all hard endurance work, according to the Otlus'. Since they unlocked the stall at the lower Postplatz they’ve not closed for a single day. The couple take their holidays separately.

This iron discipline is important in order to win back customers, explains Abdullah Otlu. They lost some customers because the kiosk used to be closed on Sundays and Mondays. Otlu also works 100% at a bakery in Cham as a driver, where he starts in the early morning. After a midday sleep, he replaces his wife Zeynep at the kiosk.

There has recently been additions to the family
The two are obviously a well-rehearsed team, which is not surprising: they met in 1988, when Abdullah Otlu from Cham returned to Turkey to serve in the military. They married a year later. They are now parents of two and, for the last 15 months, have not only been kiosk operators, but also grandparents.

The days at the lower Postplatz are always long, but not always varied. Zeynep Otlu says quite openly: "It can be boring sometimes."

The other days, the good days on which she talks to customers and reaps a lot of smiles, compensate her for that. One customer even gave her a flower. The Otlus also occasionally give gifts to their (smaller) customers, for example in the form of "ice lollipops".

The best-selling item? "Cigarettes," replies Abdullah Otlu. But he earns almost nothing from these. The same applies to the sale of lottery tickets, as only 10% of the proceeds goes to the seller. This sometimes presents them with a financial challenge, however: because winnings of up to CHF 200 have to be paid out at the kiosk, the Otlus’ sometimes have to pay these out of their own money. The best profit margin is on drinks, which also sell well. Newspapers, on the other hand, don’t sell well. And their special feature, Turkish coffee, is not yet a bestseller.

Very busy on Whit Monday
As in many other business areas, the weather is decisive for success in the kiosk business. passers-by can only be found on beautiful days and at weekends in this part of the city,. Such as on last Whit Monday, when the Otlus’ recorded 230 sales on their block – a record. With regard to daily sale, the Saturday of the Seefest 2019 stands out, but they don’t want to mention the amount for security reasons.

This major event will not be held in Zug this year, for well-known reasons. The Corona crisis has also cost Zeynep and Abdullah Otlu customers. But the two of them won't let this get them down.