LEHMANNs Gastronomie

What LEHMANNs Gastronomie does

LEHMANNs Gastronomie GmbH is a privately held, family-owned communal catering company headquartered in Bonn, Germany, operating two central kitchens that deliver meals to more than 200 institutional facilities across the Köln/Bonn/Rheinland region. Founded in 2005 by Günther and Stefan Lehmann, the company runs a multi-brand portfolio addressing five sub-segments: LEHKi (Kita, kindergarten, and primary school catering), coolinary (secondary school Mensa and cafeteria services), Mittagstisch Senioren (senior and nursing-home catering), Krisenhilfe (crisis and emergency catering for hospitals, refugee shelters, and fire departments), and general Gemeinschaftsverpflegung (communal catering for other care facilities).

The production model rests on three methods — Cook & Chill (cooking interrupted at ~90% doneness, rapid cooling to 3°C, chilled transport, regeneration to 72°C before service), Cook & Hold (hot delivery within a 45-minute radius), and Cook & Serve (on-site preparation for larger school cafeterias) — supported by BIO certification (since 2008), DGE certification (since 2016), TÜV Rheinland Premium with sustainability module (since 2019), and HACCP compliance. The firm operates the world's first online commercial kitchen with live streaming (Online-Großküche LiveView) since 2011, plus an iOS/Android mobile app, the foove.com / myfoodorder self-serve ordering platform, and the bi-annual Juute Kinderverpflegung customer magazine.

The business model is contract-based institutional catering with B2B meal supply to facilities (parents pay per meal, typically monthly billing) and a B2B professional-services arm for crisis/emergency catering. Distribution is entirely direct through the owned delivery fleet with a 20-meal minimum order; digital ordering reduces dependence on inside sales. The firm is bootstrapped (no disclosed funding rounds), employs approximately 200 people, and in 2025 transitioned to sole managing director Stefan Lehmann following Günther Lehmann's retirement at the company's 20th anniversary.

Name

LEHMANNs Gastronomie

Legal name

LEHMANNs Gastronomie GmbH

Website

https://lehmanns-gastronomie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

LEHMANNs Gastronomie is a family-owned, Bonn-headquartered institutional caterer operating two central kitchens that supply DGE- and BIO-certified meals via Cook & Chill logistics to more than 200 Kitas, schools, senior homes, and crisis facilities across the Köln/Bonn/Rheinland region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Institutional Catering Services

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231), Food Service Contractors (722310), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAEAEAG

Central Kitchen & Commissary Operations (Batch Cooking, Satellite Serving)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/School Food Services & Catering (Cafeteria Operations)

Keywords

• Institutional catering services
• School meal catering
• Senior care meals
• Communal food services
• Child nutrition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Catering Services: Contract-based meal catering services to institutional facilities including Kitas, schools, and senior homes. B2B model with recurring meal deliveries.
2. Crisis/Emergency Catering: On-demand emergency meal provision for hospitals, refugee shelters, fire departments, and facilities with temporary kitchen failures.
3. Lunch Packages: Pre-packaged lunch meals available through online ordering portal for individual purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LEHMANNs Gastronomie provides daily fresh institutional meal catering services to more than 200 facilities in the Köln/Bonn/Rheinland region through five specialized sub-brands: LEHKi (Kita, kindergarten, and primary school meals), coolinary (secondary school mensa catering), Mittagstisch Senioren (senior care facility meals), Krisenhilfe (emergency and crisis catering), and Gemeinschaftsverpflegung (general communal catering). Production is carried out in two central kitchens in Bonn using Cook & Chill, Cook & Hold, and Cook & Serve methods, with meals prepared under DGE-certified nutritional standards using BIO-certified organic ingredients.

Product overview

LEHMANNs Gastronomie is a family-owned catering company operating as a multi-brand portfolio serving communal feeding facilities (Gemeinschaftsverpflegung) in the Rheinland region. The company offers five distinct sub-brands: LEHKi (Kita and primary school catering), coolinary (secondary school cafeteria services), Mittagstisch Senioren (senior care facility meals), Krisenhilfe (emergency/crisis catering), and Gemeinschaftsverpflegung (general communal catering). Core production uses three service methods: Cook & Chill (primary specialty preserving quality over distance), Cook & Hold (warm delivery), and Cook & Serve (on-site preparation). The company also operates the world's only Online-Großküche with live kitchen streaming, publishes the Juute Kinderverpflegung magazine, and offers a customer mobile app. With two central kitchens in Bonn, the company serves over 200 facilities in Köln, Bonn, and surrounding Rheinland areas, delivering approximately 200 meals daily.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEHKi: LEHMANNs Kinder- und Schulverpflegung brand for Kita, kindergarten and elementary school catering, featuring a mascot character.
• coolinary
• Mittagstisch Senioren
• Krisenhilfe

Products and services

• LEHKi - Kita & Primary School Catering Specialized catering service for children in kindergarten, Kita, and primary school (ages 3-10). Meals are tailored to children's nutritional needs, gently prepared from high-quality organic ingredients, with over 60% vegetarian dishes and accommodation of 14 major allergens.
• coolinary - Secondary School Catering Catering service for secondary schools (weiterführende Schulen), serving school cafeterias (Mensen), kiosks, and cafeterias with diverse menus, snacks, and beverages tailored to older students' preferences.
• Mittagstisch Senioren - Senior Care Meals Meal delivery service for senior care facilities including nursing homes, offering traditional and modern dishes, special diets, pureed food, and allergen-appropriate meals prepared to senior-specific nutritional requirements.
• Krisenhilfe - Emergency & Crisis Catering Crisis and emergency catering service for hospitals, refugee shelters, fire departments, reception facilities, and companies facing temporary kitchen outages. Provides full catering including breakfast, lunch boxes, lunch, and dinner with rapid deployment.
• Gemeinschaftsverpflegung - General Communal Catering Core communal catering service providing target-group-specific solutions for various care and community facilities with diverse menus combining regional cuisine with international and traditional dishes.
• Lunch Packages (Pre-packaged Lunches) Pre-packaged lunch meals available for individual purchase through the company's online ordering portal, allowing parents and individuals to order meals directly.
• Online-Großküche LiveView World's first online commercial kitchen with live video streaming (LiveView). Customers can watch chefs prepare meals in real-time during weekdays 7-11 AM, providing transparency and authenticity around food preparation.
• LEHMANNs Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android allowing parents and children to view current meal plans, access detailed dish information, recipes, company news, and the live kitchen stream from the Online-Großküche.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60%+ vegetarian menu options
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VDSKC (Verband Deutscher Schul- und Kitacaterer e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Industry association membership with NRW state representation. LEHMANNs actively contributes experience and industry contacts.
• B.PRO Catering SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment partner providing transport solutions for safe, hygienic, and efficient meal logistics. B.PRO solutions enable reliable meal delivery processes.
• ECOLABcoreTechnology or IntegrationHygiene and cleaning solutions provider ensuring innovative, efficient, sustainable, and detailed cleaning processes for food safety.
• MEIKOcoreTechnology or IntegrationDishwashing technology partner delivering powerful cleaning solutions for demanding hygiene requirements in professional kitchens.
• MKNcoreTechnology or IntegrationKitchen equipment technology partner providing modern professional kitchen technology combining quality, innovation, and precision.
• TransgourmetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood supply partner providing reliable gastronomy distribution with broad product range and high availability for ingredient sourcing.
• PROFITreffen SchulverpflegungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry network founded by LEHMANNs in 2012 connecting family-owned school caterers across Germany to improve children's school catering.
• foove.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital ordering platform partner enabling online meal ordering, payment, and QR code pickup for school canteens.
• United Against Waste e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of association working to reduce food waste in the catering industry.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kochpartner GmbH: German institutional caterer specializing in Kita, school, and senior care meals with central kitchen operations. Closely comparable target segments, customer base, and operational setup to LEHMANNs.
• Primus Service GmbH: German mid-sized contract caterer focused on communal feeding for schools, Kitas, and care facilities. Operates a central-kitchen-plus-distribution model comparable to LEHMANNs' cook & chill approach.
• Apetito AG: Germany's largest institutional caterer serving schools, care homes, hospitals, and businesses with central-kitchen-prepared meals (including deep-frozen). Direct competitor to LEHMANNs in Kita, school, and senior catering, with similar subscription-style contract models.
• Sander Catering: German institutional caterer focused on communal feeding in schools, Kitas, and care facilities across multiple regions. Operates central kitchens with satellite delivery — a closely comparable business model to LEHMANNs.
• Klüh Catering GmbH: Established German family-owned catering company serving institutional clients including schools, hospitals, and senior care. Overlapping target segments and similar B2B contract catering model make it a relevant comparable for LEHMANNs.
• Menü AG: Swiss-German institutional caterer specializing in communal feeding for schools, kindergartens, and senior facilities. Operates central kitchens with regional distribution, closely mirroring LEHMANNs' cook & chill / satellite model.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo Deutschland: German arm of the global food services and facility management company, competing for large institutional contracts including school and corporate catering. Larger, broader portfolio than LEHMANNs but serves the same buyer segments.
• Aramark Deutschland: German arm of the global contract food services group, active across education, healthcare, senior care, and corporate catering. A broader incumbent that bids against regional specialists like LEHMANNs for institutional accounts.
• Dussmann Group: Large German facility services and catering group operating across multiple service lines including institutional catering for schools, businesses, and care homes. Overlaps with LEHMANNs on catering but operates a much broader portfolio.
• Compass Group / Eurest Deutschland: German subsidiary of the world's largest food services group, serving schools, businesses, healthcare, and senior living. Competes with LEHMANNs primarily in larger municipal and multi-site tenders via scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LehmannsGastro
• Instagraminstagram.com/lehmanns.gastronomie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lehmanns-gastronomie-gmbh

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 LEHMANNs Gastronomie