1903

The first apartment block on the Square was built at number 8. On the 4 floors were employers, traders and insurers. On the ground floor was the Grande Pâtisserie Regina.

Its owner, Jules Devos, knew how to publicize his shop! The newspaper Le Soir announced the opening of the pâtisserie. In the gable of the shop, visible from the bottom of the Square, a huge advertisement had been painted. It was also one of the first companies to have a telephone.

Jules Devos was a member of the Union of pastry chefs of Belgium.

This cooperative made group purchases of raw materials and produced their own chocolate (bars of chocolate, pralines, Easter eggs, cocoa powder) as well as confectionery (sweets, fondants etc).  

In 1913, Octave Vals, the former pastry chef of Jules Devos, takes over.

The ladies of the Square enjoyed all his french pastries, gosettes, moka, miserable, eclairs, orange cakes and strawberryflans… Orange was a rarity in those days! There were Danish pastries for breakfast and icecream in the summer.

1926

The Lambert chemist, initially established at no. 6 (and then at nr. 4 rue van Campenhout) settled back in the Square. On the gable, one reads now : « Lampert, couleurs et vernis ».

They sell paint, varnishes and toiletries.

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The chemist shop will be run by Ms E. Annens until 1937, and by the widow Dupont until 1960.

1966-1978

Quick Wash, the first automatic laundrette in the area, established itself here.