Hamburger cult club relies on itemdrop
The Grosse Freiheit 36 on the Reeperbahn has been using itemdrop since March 2025. Managing Director Sebastian reports how the system has improved the club's operation with over 2,000 guests per evening.
The Great Freedom 36 – this is pure Hamburg club culture. Right in the middle of the Reeperbahn, where the Beatles once started their career, over 2,000 guests celebrate night after night to concerts and parties. The club is one of the most well-known locations in Germany and operates a total of four venues in St. Pauli. Since March 2025, the cloakroom has been completely digital – with itemdrop.
The initial situation: chaos, losses, stress
Before item drops were introduced, everything at the cloakroom was done analog: cash, cloakroom tickets, and a lot of improvisation. "The biggest problem was the lost cloakroom tickets," remembers Sebastian, one of the two managing directors. "Especially at our parties, where guests tend to celebrate properly, those tickets were constantly getting lost. When someone finds a foreign ticket, they can simply go to the cloakroom and have their jacket handed over. It's incomprehensible to us."
The consequence: every weekend there were reports of losses. On Mondays and Tuesdays, emails from guests looking for their jackets were constantly coming in. This meant additional work for the team every time. Additionally, there were long queues, cash handling, and a system where two employees had to cooperate – one collects payments, and one hangs up the jackets. "At concerts, we have to get 1,500 guests through the cloakroom in an hour. With the old system, that was a real challenge."
The solution: Fast, transparent, unbranded
Sebastian was clear: "When we install something new, it should be really efficient and save time and resources. itemdrop was the only system that met this requirement."
The transition was consistent: Hard cut, no parallel operation. After an hour of training, we went straight into actual operation. Right in the middle of the concert season and under full load. "The system is designed so that you can easily go live with it in one evening," said Sebastian.
The greatest advantages from the perspective of the Great Freedom 36:
90% Less Follow-Up – "The Monday after the first weekend with itemdrop: significantly fewer emails. The effort has been reduced by up to 90%. It used to be guaranteed that something would come up after every weekend; now maybe once every six weeks."
Faster Processes – every employee can now independently cash and hang up. "This makes them much more flexible. And I believe that it also makes the people enjoy it much more because they are simply not dependent on another employee."
Better Staff Planning – "We can assess much better which wardrobes are used to what extent. This helps us enormously with planning."
Guests more relaxed, staff more satisfied – "The process at night is much calmer, much more relaxed. The experience has improved for both the guests and the staff."
Support that convinces
Particularly highlighted was the collaboration with itemdrop: "The support was really very good. Our questions were always answered quickly – day and night. Even at midnight, we received immediate feedback.
Adjustments to the night operation, such as billing periods, were implemented promptly. "Our feedback from operations was taken up directly. This has concretely simplified our daily routine."
Conclusion: A win for guests, team, and operation
“Our employees are working much more relaxed today, guests are passing through faster and we have a clear overview of everything – without paper, without cash, without follow-up,” Sebastian summarizes.
His advice to other club operators is clear:
Sebastian, Managing Director, Grosse Freiheit 36
Read the entire interview
Read the entire interview with the management of Grossen Freiheit 36.
