BackWerk

What BackWerk does

BackWerk, legally operated as Valora Food Service Deutschland GmbH, is a German self-service bakery franchise founded in February 2001 with its first SB-Bäckerei (self-service bakery) location. It pioneered the self-service bakery concept in Germany and has grown to 280+ stores across Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, employing 3,000+ people. The company operates a hybrid franchise model: franchisees operate individual stores under multi-year contracts with a €3,600 license fee, a 5.5% royalty on net sales, and a minimum €25,000 equity requirement, while Valora Food Service Deutschland GmbH handles real estate sourcing and lease arrangements. The product portfolio spans five core categories — filled rolls (Belegte Brötchen), hot snacks (Heiße Snacks including stone-oven focaccia sandwiches, pizza, börek, hot dogs), sweet pastries, plain bakery items, and beverages (including exclusive Tchibo-developed Fairtrade coffee and, since 2024, nationwide Oatly oat milk) — with seasonal campaigns (Veganuary, Laugenzeit, Erdbeerzeit) and promotional bundles such as the €4.95 Snackbox.

The business combines retail bakery operations, franchise royalties, and centralized procurement under Valora Group ownership (acquired 2017), generating revenue through direct store sales at company-owned and franchisee-operated locations, supplemented by Lieferando home delivery. Distribution strategy emphasizes high-footfall locations — pedestrian zones, shopping centers, train stations (Duisburg Hauptbahnhof Express format), and highway rest stops (Autohof Northeim A7) — with the modernized NEUES BACKWERK store concept rolling out since November 2022 to add juice bars, soup counters, and refreshed interiors. Marketing is conducted primarily through organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), the company website's store locator (powered by Rehbrand/Google Maps and measured via Matomo analytics), and franchise recruitment at events such as FranchiseExpo.

Leadership comprises Geschäftsführer (CEO) Philipp Angehrn at the Valora Food Service Deutschland entity and Sebastian Kayser, with Gordon Faehnrich leading brand strategy since August 2017. BackWerk holds the Deutscher Franchiseverband (DFV) quality seal, was awarded the PETA Progress Award 2016 for its plant-based range expansion, and operates GDPR-compliant data infrastructure hosted in Switzerland. The chain is positioned by the company as the European market leader in self-service bakery / bakery gastronomy.

Name

BackWerk

Legal name

Valora Food Service Deutschland GmbH

Website

http://www.back-werk.de/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BackWerk is a German self-service bakery franchise operating 280+ stores across Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland under Valora Food Service Deutschland GmbH, serving individual consumers with affordable fresh bakery snacks, hot foods, and beverages through a franchise-and-company-owned model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-service bakery / Quick-service bakery

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts) (THAFADAH)

Keywords

• Self-service bakery
• Fresh bakery products
• Bakery franchise
• Bakery gastronomy
• Snacks on-the-go

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: BackWerk generates revenue through franchise fees including a license fee of €3,600 and 5.5% of net sales as franchise fee. No additional advertising fee is charged.
2. Retail Sales (Company-owned Stores): Direct sales from company-owned or operated BackWerk stores selling fresh bakery products, snacks, and beverages to consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BackWerk operates a self-service bakery chain selling freshly prepared filled sandwiches, hot snacks, sweet pastries, plain bakery products, and beverages. Products are baked multiple times daily in-store and priced below the average of German artisan bakeries. The company sells directly to consumers through its own and franchised stores, plus through Lieferando delivery.

Product overview

BackWerk is a German self-service bakery chain (Selbstbedienungs-Bäckerei) operating as a franchise system under Valora Food Service Deutschland GmbH. Founded in 2001, it has evolved from a pure self-service bakery to a leading back-gastronomy concept. The product portfolio centers on five core categories: Belegte Brötchen (filled sandwiches/rolls) including Pane, Baguettino, Rustico varieties; Heiße Snacks (hot snacks) such as Hot Sandwiches, Pizza, Börek, and Hot Dogs; Süßes Gebäck (sweet pastries) including muffins, donuts, croissants, and cubes; Backwaren (plain bakery products) like pretzels and breads; and Getränke (beverages) featuring Fairtrade coffee and fresh juices. Signature products include the Crunchy Chicken sandwich and Fairtrade-certified coffee (in partnership with Tchibo). The company has expanded its vegan offerings significantly since 2016, earning PETA Progress Award recognition, and offers delivery through Lieferando. The NEUES BACKWERK format represents a store modernization initiative with expanded services including smoothie bars and soup counters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Belegte Brötchen (Filled Sandwiches) Freshly filled sandwiches and rolls including Pane, Baguettino, Rustico, Krüstchen, and Wecklis varieties. Sold to consumers in BackWerk stores.
• Heiße Snacks (Hot Snacks) Hot food items including Hot Sandwiches (stone oven focaccia), Pizza varieties, Börek, Geflügelrollen, and Hot Dogs. Grilled fresh at checkout.
• Süßes Gebäck (Sweet Pastries) Sweet baked goods including muffins, donuts, croissants, pastries (Apfelecke, Kirschkörbchen, Vanillestange), cookies, and cubes (Cinnamon, Red Velvet).
• Backwaren (Bakery Products) Plain baked goods including Kaiserbrötchen, Käsebrötchen, Laugenbrezel, Saatenbrezel, Franzbrötchen, Simit, and various breads.
• Getränke (Beverages)

Quantifiable outcome

• BackWerk products are priced below the average of German artisan bakeries while maintaining quality and taste

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OatlyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Partnership for oat milk availability in BackWerk stores. Started in Cologne with six stores and expanded to all stores nationwide by October 2024.
• TchibocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020BackWerk partnered with Tchibo to develop a special coffee roast available exclusively at BackWerk stores. Since January 2020, all stores in Germany and Austria only serve Fairtrade-certified coffee developed with Tchibo.
• LeBuffetminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Cooperation partnership for new store openings at LeBuffet locations. Second cooperation announced in March 2018 with new opening in Gießen.
• Help and Hope Foundation (Stiftung help and hope)minorOthers · 1 January 2014BackWerk has been a nationwide partner since summer 2014, replacing traditional payment plates with Help and Hope donation plates at increasingly more locations. The foundation helps disadvantaged children and youth through programs including GidZ (career support) and Hand in Hand (refugee integration).
• Rehbrand GmbHminorOthersService provider for store locator functionality using Google Maps integration on BackWerk website.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pret a Manger: International self-service sandwich and bakery chain. Comparable to BackWerk in self-service grab-and-go bakery positioning, though it operates primarily in UK, US, and select European transit hubs rather than DACH.
• Subway: Global franchise sandwich chain. Comparable to BackWerk in asset-light franchise model, self-service counter format, and focus on filled sandwiches/snacks at value price points.
• Panera Bread: Large US bakery-café chain owned by JAB Holding. Comparable to BackWerk in bakery-led menu, self-service counter format, and growing focus on plant-based options, but operates a full-service café model at higher price points.

Regional players

• Bäcker Görtz: Regional bakery chain based in Baden-Württemberg with a strong footprint in southwest Germany. Comparable to BackWerk in core product offering (bread, rolls, filled sandwiches) and franchise-style growth, but operates in a narrower geography.
• Sander Bakery (Bäckerei Sander): Regional German bakery chain with locations in North Rhine-Westphalia. Comparable to BackWerk in retail bakery format and core product mix, though with a more localized footprint and traditional service model.

Direct peers

• Ditsch: German pretzel and bakery chain owned by Valora Group (same parent as BackWerk). Sister brand offering pretzels, breads, and snacks; shares distribution logic and is part of the same Valora food-service portfolio.
• Kamps: One of Germany's largest bakery chains with hundreds of retail bakery stores. Directly comparable to BackWerk as a multi-location German bakery retail franchise, though Kamaps leans more toward traditional staffed-service bakery rather than self-service.
• Le Crobag: German self-service bakery chain focused on high-frequency locations like train stations and airports. Directly comparable to BackWerk in self-service format and bakery-snack positioning, with even stronger overlap on transit/commuter customers.
• Dat Backhus: German bakery chain with stores in northern Germany, offering fresh bread, rolls, and snacks. Comparable to BackWerk as a multi-store German retail bakery operator, though with a more traditional staffed model.
• Sternenbäck: Franchised bakery chain operating in Germany and Austria with hundreds of stores. Closely comparable to BackWerk in geography, franchise structure, and core product mix of bread, rolls, and snacks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_backwerk_
• Facebookfacebook.com/BackWerk
• Instagraminstagram.com/meinbackwerk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=_DprI-ZMerI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/backwerk-service-gmbh

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BackWerk