Once this was a “Gasthaus”, the Austrian version of a Pub, and there is still the ghost of an inscription, but obviously it has long since closed.
Often when a shop or a restaurant closes, another one moves in, maybe more successful, maybe not, but this is the kind of building that just gets shut down, often waiting for many years until it finally gets torn down.
They have character though, at least a lot more than the generic chain stores that in the end replace them. It’s interesting: When I was in south England in 1989, I was shocked by how similar all the High Streets looked. Everywhere a Booths, a Marks & Spencer, a Tie Rack and some other chains, not much more, hardly any variation. Today it is the same around here. Resistance is futile.
The Song of the Day is “The Pub” from Paul Heaton’s 2008 album “The Cross Eyed Rambler”. Hear it on YouTube.