Krokodil

What Krokodil does

Krokodil GmbH is a privately held German restaurant operator headquartered in Rottenburg am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg, founded in 1993 and managed by its co-founders Michael and Sabine Tacke as Geschäftsführer. The company operates three full-service bistro and café locations — Krokodil Rottenburg, Krokodil Mössingen, and Krokodil Balingen — under a direct-to-consumer model serving traditional Swabian cuisine alongside international specialties such as Maultaschen, Rostbraten, and weekly specials. The Balingen location adds entertainment-based revenue through billiards (€12-14/hour) and bowling lanes/Kegelbahnen (€18-22/hour), and all three sites host private events including birthdays, company parties, and Christmas celebrations.

The business runs on a standard, low-tech operational stack. Online table reservations are managed via gastroguide.de with booking windows up to 200 days in advance, gift certificates are sold both online and at the front desk through the same Gastroguide e-commerce platform, and the weekly menu (Wochenkarte) is distributed via email newsletter through Brevo. Marketing channels consist of organic social presence on Instagram (@krokodil_bistro_cafe) and Facebook, plus the email newsletter. There is no proprietary technology, no mobile app, no API, and no AI or machine learning capabilities. The technical integrations are limited to communications (Brevo) and reservations/gift certificates (Gastroguide).

Revenue is generated through transactional food and beverage sales at the three locations, supplemented by takeaway orders, gift certificate sales, entertainment rentals at the Balingen site, and event hosting. Corporate customer acquisition is supported by minor partnerships — Netze BW employee discounts and Pluxee Gutscheine voucher acceptance at Balingen. The company has no disclosed funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, no patents, no certifications, and no publicly disclosed pricing or revenue figures. With 12 employees and a stable three-location footprint established across three decades, Krokodil operates as a mature, family-run regional restaurant business rather than a scaling venture-backed operator.

Name

Krokodil

Legal name

Krokodil GmbH

Website

https://bistro-krokodil.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Krokodil GmbH is a family-owned German restaurant chain operating three traditional Swabian bistro and café locations in Rottenburg am Neckar, Mössingen, and Balingen, serving regional cuisine with international specialties, entertainment add-ons, and private event hosting for local consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ), Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

Keywords

• Casual dining restaurants
• Swabian cuisine
• Bistro and cafe
• Restaurant chain
• Event hosting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rottenburg am Neckar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant dining service: Revenue from food and beverage sales at three restaurant locations. Customers pay per transaction for meals and drinks consumed on-site. Additional revenue streams include takeaway orders and gift certificate sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Krokodil GmbH operates a multi-location bistro and café chain serving traditional Swabian cuisine alongside international specialties at three physical locations in Rottenburg am Neckar, Mössingen, and Balingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). The company sells dine-in meals and beverages, takeaway orders, gift vouchers, private event hosting for celebrations and corporate parties, and on-site entertainment including billiards and bowling lanes at the Balingen location. The establishment has operated since 1993 under family management and emphasizes a relaxed, no-dress-code atmosphere.

Product overview

Krokodil operates as a multi-location bistro and cafe chain offering traditional Swabian cuisine with international influences. The core product is the restaurant service at three locations (Rottenburg, Mössingen, Balingen), supported by online reservation capabilities, takeaway ordering, and gift voucher sales. Additional revenue streams include billiards and bowling lanes at the Balingen location, and event hosting services for private celebrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Krokodil Balingen: Restaurant location in Balingen offering dining, billiards, and bowling (Kegelbahn) services
• Krokodil Mössingen
• Krokodil Rottenburg

Products and services

• Restaurant Krokodil Bistro & Café (Dine-in Service) Full-service bistro and café offering traditional Swabian cuisine complemented by international specialties at three locations in Rottenburg am Neckar, Mössingen, and Balingen, Germany, for local residents, families, and individuals seeking casual regional dining.
• Essen zum Mitnehmen (Takeaway Service) Takeaway service allowing customers to order any menu items for collection at all three Krokodil locations, for local residents wanting restaurant-quality meals at home.
• Gutscheine (Gift Vouchers) Gift vouchers available for purchase online or at restaurant locations, redeemable for any Krokodil offerings, targeting gift-givers and customers seeking flexible dining credit.
• Event & Celebration Hosting Private event hosting for birthdays, company parties, Christmas celebrations, and family gatherings with customizable menus and decorations, available at the Rottenburg and other locations, targeting event organizers, families, and corporate clients.
• Billard (Billiards) and Kegelbahn (Bowling Lanes) Rental Billiard tables (€12/hr before 18:00, €14/hr after 18:00) and bowling lanes (€18/hr before 18:00, €22/hr after 18:00) available for reservation at the Balingen location, targeting groups and social gatherings seeking entertainment alongside dining.
• Online Tischreservierung (Online Table Reservation) Online table reservation system allowing customers to book tables up to 200 days in advance at all three Krokodil locations, for diners planning ahead for meals and events.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Netze BWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetze BW employee discount partnership at the Balingen location. Employees receive discounts by presenting their employee ID and signing up on a list at the restaurant. Targeted at local workers during lunch breaks.
• Pluxee GutscheineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPluxee voucher program accepted at the Balingen location. Customers can redeem Pluxee gift vouchers for discounts on their dining experience.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Marché International: European casual dining chain with restaurants in Germany and other countries. Comparable as a multi-location casual full-service restaurant operator with broad menu offerings.
• Block House: Established German steakhouse chain with multiple locations nationwide. Comparable as a multi-site German full-service restaurant brand operating casual-to-mid-scale dining venues with a regional and national footprint.
• Wienerwald: German casual restaurant chain offering traditional cuisine with multiple locations. Comparable as a multi-site full-service German restaurant chain operating in the casual dining segment.
• Brauhaus (Various regional chains): Traditional German brewery-restaurant concepts serving regional cuisine with on-site beer production. Comparable to Krokodil's traditional Swabian regional cuisine positioning and casual dining model.

Direct peers

• Vapiano: Casual Italian restaurant chain with locations across Germany. Comparable as a multi-site casual dining operator, though notable for having undergone financial restructuring, illustrating sector risk.
• Hans im Glück: Modern German casual dining chain known for burgers and cocktails. Comparable as a multi-location full-service restaurant brand in Germany emphasizing relaxed atmosphere and design-driven venues.
• L'Osteria: German casual Italian restaurant chain operating dozens of locations across Germany. Directly comparable as a casual full-service dining chain with multiple locations, broad menu, and dine-in focus.

Emerging players

• Dean & David: German casual restaurant chain focused on fresh, healthy bowls and salads. Comparable as a multi-location casual dining/restaurant chain in Germany with dine-in and takeaway options.

Others

• Gastroguide.de (Müller Medien): German restaurant reservation and gift voucher platform used by Krokodil. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler providing reservation and gift card infrastructure to small German restaurants.

Regional players

• Sächsisches Dampfbrot Café & Restaurant: Regional German casual restaurant operator focused on traditional cuisine. Comparable to Krokodil's regional cuisine specialization and small-chain multi-location model, though operating in a different German region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/balingenkrokodil
• Instagraminstagram.com/krokodil_bistro_cafe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/krokodil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Krokodil