Food Service Innovation Lab

What Food Service Innovation Lab does

Food Service Innovation Lab is the dedicated innovation and transformation unit for Food Services within the Dussmann Group (Dussmann Stiftung & Co. KGaA), headquartered in Berlin at Friedrichstraße 90. Established in 2020 and led by Christian Hamerle (Head of Global Food Service Transformation), Harald Fischer (Managing Director and CSO of Dussmann Service Deutschland GmbH, initiator), Philipp Conrads (Chairman of the Management Board, initiator), and Nadja Flohr-Spence (Head of Food Service Sustainability Transformation), the Lab focuses on transforming communal gastronomy (Gemeinschaftsgastronomie), specifically staff restaurants and company canteens, toward sustainable and economically viable operations. It positions itself as a transformation accelerator and neutral platform that collaborates with startups, science, business, politics, and society to advance food-system change.

The Lab's product and service portfolio centers on sustainable menu lines (notably Planet!Based, recognized with an industry award in 2024) and Digital Catering offerings that deploy KI-basierte Monitoringsysteme (AI-based monitoring systems), innovative food technologies, and robotics to keep canteens economically viable and attractive to employees. Supporting offerings include the Food Transparency initiative (sustainable procurement and supply-chain redesign), Holistic Hospitality (Ganzheitliche Gastgeberkultur, region-specific culinary experiences), innovative products such as Brew Bites, and the Dussmann Food Services Catering Portal (foodservices.dussmann.com) as the showcase channel. The Lab's track record includes the DATA KITCHEN digitalized Bistronomy concept, which was awarded Germany's most innovative gastronomy concept in 2017 under Hamerle's prior role at Markthalle Neun.

Commercially, Food Service Innovation Lab is not an independently revenue-generating entity. It is a wholly-owned internal innovation unit of Dussmann Group with 1-10 disclosed employees, no standalone revenue or pricing model, and no external funding rounds. Concepts and technologies developed by the Lab are deployed through Dussmann Food Services' catering operations in Germany and globally. The unit relies on parent-allocated resources, with key spokesperson Christian Hamerle driving thought leadership through podcasts, interviews, and trade publications.

Name

Food Service Innovation Lab

Legal name

Food Service Innovation Lab

Website

https://foodserviceinnovationlab.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Food Service Innovation Lab is the internal innovation unit of Dussmann Group, developing sustainable menu lines (Planet!Based), AI-based monitoring, and digital catering technologies to transform communal gastronomy across Dussmann's global staff restaurant and canteen operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Communal Catering Services

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Services & Catering (On-site/Corporate Dining/Vending) (IMAIAAAE)

Keywords

• Communal catering services
• Sustainable food service
• Digital catering solutions
• Menu line development
• Canteen innovation consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Food Service Innovation Lab is the internal transformation and innovation unit of Dussmann Group's food services division. It develops and implements sustainable, digitally enabled communal catering concepts (including the Planet!Based menu line, DATA KITCHEN bistro concept, and Holistic Hospitality experiences) and deploys AI-based monitoring systems, robotics, and innovative food technologies across staff restaurants and company canteens operated by Dussmann Food Services worldwide.

Product overview

Food Service Innovation Lab operates as an innovation unit within the Dussmann Group, developing a portfolio of interconnected food service offerings. The core offerings include the Planet!Based sustainable menu line (awarded in 2024) and Digital Catering services utilizing AI-based monitoring, robotics, and food technologies. Supporting offerings include Food Transparency for sustainable procurement and Holistic Hospitality for culturally diverse culinary experiences. The lab also previously developed the DATA KITCHEN digitalized Bistronomy concept (2017 award winner) and works with innovative products like Brew Bites. The ecosystem is supported through a catering portal (foodservices.dussmann.com) that showcases the various menu lines, food communications, and sustainability projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Planet!Based: A sustainable menu line developed by Food Service Innovation Lab that won an award in 2024 for its plant-based and environmentally conscious approach to communal dining.

Products and services

• Planet!Based Menu Line Sustainable menu line developed by Food Service Innovation Lab for communal catering in staff restaurants and company canteens operated by Dussmann Food Services; awarded recognition in 2024 for sustainable communal gastronomy.
• Brew Bites Innovative food product featured by Food Service Innovation Lab as part of its sustainable food portfolio and value chain transformation work within communal catering.
• Digital Catering Services Technology-enabled catering services deploying AI-based monitoring systems, robotics, and innovative food technologies to ensure economically viable and attractive canteen and staff restaurant operations for enterprise and institutional clients.
• Holistic Hospitality (Ganzheitliche Gastgeberkultur) Comprehensive hospitality culture service offering developed jointly with Dussmann Food Services and customers, creating innovative and holistic culinary experiences that reflect cultural diversity of each region while using digital technologies to elevate the guest-host role.
• DATA KITCHEN Concept Digitalized Bistronomy concept developed by Christian Hamerle at Markthalle Neun in Berlin and recognized as Germany's most innovative gastronomy concept in 2017; forms part of Food Service Innovation Lab's digitalized food service portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Planet!Based menu line awarded in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dussmann GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and primary strategic partner. The Food Service Innovation Lab is the dedicated innovation unit for transformation and innovation within the Dussmann Group's food services division.
• Dussmann Food ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating division implementing the Lab's innovations in catering operations. Close collaboration on developing innovative culinary experiences and digital catering solutions.
• Start-upsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with innovative startups as part of the transformation accelerator role to drive food system innovation and bring innovative products to market.
• Science/Research InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnerships to advance sustainable food solutions and innovation in communal catering.
• Politics and SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks with policy makers and broader society as a transformation accelerator to advance the nutrition transition across industries.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nestlé Professional: B2B food service arm of Nestlé providing products, menu solutions, and sustainability tools to out-of-home catering operators — comparable buyer/supplier of innovation into the contract catering channel.
• Unilever Food Solutions: B2B food service solutions provider offering menu development, sustainability programs (e.g., plant-based), and digital tools to professional kitchens — adjacent incumbent with overlapping innovation mandate.

Direct peers

• Elior Group: France-based contract catering group with significant European presence in corporate, education, and healthcare food service — overlapping with the Lab's communal catering and sustainability focus.
• Bon Appétit Management Company: US-based contract caterer emphasizing farm-to-table, sustainability, and menu innovation in corporate and university settings — comparable on menu differentiation and sustainability positioning.
• Compass Group: World's largest contract catering group; Lab leader Harald Fischer previously worked at Compass. Operates innovation programs across workplace, education, and healthcare food service.
• Sodexo: Global contract catering and food services multinational with innovation programs targeting sustainable, digital, and AI-enabled communal dining — directly comparable to Food Service Innovation Lab's mandate.
• Aramark: Major US-headquartered contract caterer with global operations and dedicated sustainability and digital innovation initiatives serving corporate, education, and healthcare clients.
• Dussmann Food Services: Operating division of the Lab's parent group that deploys the Lab's innovations at scale in German and international canteens. The closest functional comparator since it implements the Lab's concepts.

Emerging players

• Winnow Solutions: AI-driven food waste measurement and reduction platform for commercial kitchens, including staff canteens — directly aligned with the Lab's KI-basierte Monitoringsysteme and sustainability value proposition.
• Too Good To Go: Surplus-meal marketplace and food waste app with a strong sustainability narrative overlapping the Lab's Food Transparency and Planet!Based themes; increasingly partners with corporate canteens.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dussmann-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/dussmann_group
• Xx.com/foodservicelab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Food Service Innovation Lab