Soda Group

What Soda Group does

Soda Group is a privately held German hospitality consulting and planning firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in Bochum, with additional offices in Fürth, Schrobenhausen, and Frankfurt am Main. Operating as three legally distinct entities (SODA GmbH, SODA Project & Design GmbH, and SODA Catering Concepts GmbH) under a partner-led structure, the firm employs approximately 100 multidisciplinary specialists including architects, former chefs, BIM planners, interior designers, brand strategists, and nutritionists. Its integrated offering spans restaurant design and execution planning, professional kitchen (Großküche) concept and process planning, gastronomy consulting (including operator tender management under VOL/A), and brand strategy and communication.

The firm's revenue model is professional-services based: fees are quoted per engagement scoped by service phase, complexity, and project size, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Customers are predominantly enterprise-scale, including corporate dining clients (Siemens, Nestlé, ZEISS, W&W Group, Brainlab, Funke Media Group, Engelhorn), travel-hospitality operators (Fraport/Avolta/Lagardère at Frankfurt Airport Terminal 3, SSP, Marché Mövenpick across 20+ locations, L'Osteria, Hausmann's), hotel groups (25hours Hotels across seven European cities), retail and trade-fair venues (Nürnberg Messe), and freestander/independent concepts (XIAO, Mmaah!, Milano Vice). Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, combining direct enterprise outreach with a strong thought-leadership presence (Internorga, gvpraxis trend days, FCSI conventions, NEWMORROW retreats, annual SODA Technology Guide).

Soda Group has productized parts of its intellectual property into sub-brands — SODA INSIGHT (trend research), SODA FUTURE (strategy workshops), SODA ACCESS (C-level sentiment reports), SODA BRANDS, WORKPLACE KITCHEN, and the Ackerpause-co-developed Lernort Kantine workshop format — and pursues ecosystem partnerships (Slow Food Deutschland, bdia, DHBW Heilbronn). The company reports no external funding, no subsidiaries, and no public-company status, operating as a self-funded partnership of independent specialists.

Name

Soda Group

Legal name

SODA GmbH

Website

https://soda-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Soda Group is a privately held German hospitality consulting and planning firm (founded 1990, ~100 staff, four offices) that delivers integrated restaurant design, professional kitchen planning, gastronomy consulting, and brand strategy for enterprise clients across corporate catering, travel hospitality, retail, hotels, and freestander segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bochum

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services (Planning, Consulting, Design): Revenue is generated through project-based professional services including restaurant design and planning, professional kitchen concept and planning, consulting, concept development and process planning, and brand strategy and communication services. Fees are quoted per engagement based on scope, complexity, and service phases.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Soda Group is a multidisciplinary hospitality planning and consulting firm that develops gastronomic brands, designs restaurants, plans professional kitchens, and delivers consulting and process planning across the German-speaking out-of-home market. Their work spans system gastronomy, company catering, travel hospitality, retail hospitality, healthcare, hotellerie, and freestander concepts, integrating brand strategy, spatial design, kitchen engineering, and operational implementation under one organization across four German locations.

Product overview

Soda Group is a multidisciplinary hospitality consulting and planning firm operating since 1990, offering integrated services across restaurant design, professional kitchen planning, gastronomy consulting, and brand strategy. Their portfolio spans four main service pillars: Design & Planning of Restaurants, Concept & Planning of Professional Kitchens (Großküchen), Consulting/Concept Development & Process Planning, and Brand Strategy & Communication. The company also operates specialized formats including Lernort Kantine workshops and the NEWMORROW industry platform. Their work covers diverse segments including system gastronomy, company catering, travel hospitality, retail, healthcare, hotels, and leisure venues. Projects range from Airport FRA Terminal 3 (13 gastro units, 2,900 m²) to Siemens company restaurants, 25hours Hotels, and brands like Mmaah! Korean BBQ. The company is structured across four locations (Bochum, Fürth, Schrobenhausen, Frankfurt) and maintains active presence at industry events including INTERNORGA and various trade conferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEWMORROW: A platform for interactive dialogue dedicated to the development of individuals and the evolution of the hospitality industry. A strategic retreat format bringing together entrepreneurs, leaders, and forward thinkers.
• SODA INSIGHT
• SODA FUTURE
• SODA ACCESS
• SODA BRANDS
• WORKPLACE KITCHEN
• Lernort Kantine

Products and services

• Design & Planning of Restaurants

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 gastronomy units covering ~2,900 m² at Frankfurt Airport Terminal 3 for Avolta and Lagardère Travel Retail
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AckerpausecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Soda Group co-developed the 'Lernort Kantine' (Canteen as a Place of Learning) workshop format with Ackerpause. The format brings health, food appreciation, craftsmanship, and planetary health diet education to company canteens through five interactive workshop stations. The partnership combines Ackerpause's agricultural education expertise with Soda Group's hospitality planning and canteen design capabilities. The format was documented in a film and presented at AckerFestival Berlin.
• SSP (Travel Retail)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2014Soda Group has worked with SSP (a leading travel retail and food service operator) for over 10 years, supporting SSP's concepts at airports and train stations across Germany, including L'Osteria Piccola at Cologne Central Station and other travel hospitality locations.
• Marché MövenpickcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA long-standing partnership spanning over 10 years with more than 20 locations realized together. Soda Group provides specialist kitchen planning, interior design, and concept development for Marché Mövenpick locations at airports, shopping centers, and other settings, including Jakarta, Singapore, Düsseldorf Airport, and Copenhagen.
• Slow Food Deutschland e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoda Group is an official supporting member of Slow Food Germany. This partnership aligns with the company's consulting philosophy of combining enjoyment, quality, and responsibility — reflected in sustainable, high-quality kitchen and concept development for communal catering and hospitality.
• NEWMORROWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEWMORROW is a platform founded and co-developed by Soda Group (specifically Axel Weber) for interactive industry dialogue, bringing together entrepreneurs, leaders, and forward thinkers for retreats (Greece, Portugal 2026) focused on collective work toward a new self-understanding of the hospitality industry. The platform includes strategic workshops and digital extensions.
• DHBW HeilbronnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoda Group entered a project partnership with DHBW Heilbronn (Dual University Baden-Württemberg), providing students in Culinary Studies elective with practical industry case studies and insights. Markus Tust delivered introductory lectures, and Soda Group accompanied student project work.
• bdia (Bund deutscher Innenarchitektinnen und Innenarchitekten)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoda Group co-organized the 'Backstage Hospitality' event with bdia, bringing together hospitality design professionals, interior designers, and hotel industry representatives for a day of inspiration, exchange, and networking.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG): Global hospitality design firm offering architecture, interior design, and planning for hotels, resorts, and mixed-use developments. Comparable to SODA in providing integrated multidisciplinary services to enterprise hospitality clients.
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): International hospitality interior design firm specializing in hotel, resort, and restaurant interiors. Comparable to SODA's interior design and brand strategy work for premium hospitality and hotellerie clients like 25hours Hotels.
• Rockwell Group: New York-based architecture and design firm specializing in hospitality, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues. Closely comparable to SODA in offering integrated brand, interior, and concept services for high-profile hospitality operators globally.
• BBE Handelsberatung: German retail and food service consultancy providing concept development, market research, and strategic advisory. Comparable to SODA's consulting, concept development, and process planning services in the German-speaking market.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto-based design studio specializing in hospitality, residential, and retail interiors. Comparable to SODA in delivering integrated interior and brand experience services for premium hospitality operators.

Broad incumbents

• CallisonRTKL: International architecture and design firm with deep retail and hospitality practices. Comparable to SODA on retail hospitality, food hall, and large-scale hospitality planning mandates, though serving a broader geographic market.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a significant hospitality, retail, and workplace practice. Overlaps with SODA on enterprise campus dining and hospitality interior design, but operates at vastly larger scale across many sectors.
• Populous: Global architecture firm specializing in sports venues, convention centers, and large hospitality spaces. Tangentially comparable to SODA's Messe and stadium-scale hospitality planning work in Germany.

Regional players

• HPP Architekten: Düsseldorf-based architecture firm with hospitality, retail, and commercial projects across Germany. Comparable as a German-headquartered competitor in the hospitality design space, though broader in scope than SODA.
• Steve Leung Designers: Hong Kong-based hospitality interior design firm serving hotels, restaurants, and residential developers across Asia. Comparable to SODA in offering integrated hospitality interior design and brand services, though focused primarily on Asia-Pacific markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soda-group-germany
• Instagraminstagram.com/sodagroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/sodagroupgermany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Soda Group