Mensa der KU Eichstätt

What Mensa der KU Eichstätt does

Mensa der KU Eichstätt is a campus dining facility (refectory) operated by Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg, a public-law institution (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts) under Bavarian state supervision that provides comprehensive student welfare services across Middle Franconia, Eichstätt, and Ingolstadt. The parent organization serves over 53,000 students at institutions including Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU), Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg, and Weihenstephan-Triesdorf. Its core products and services encompass subsidized dining (Mensen/Cafeterias/Cafebars with cashless card payment), affordable student housing, BAföG financial aid administration, psychological and social counseling, childcare services, cultural programming, and the Semesterticket public transport program. The organization runs sub-brands including GrünWerk (a plant-based menu line) and MensaVital (healthy eating program), and recently introduced concepts such as the Dönerteria and Tagescafé.

The business model is fundamentally public-sector: the entity operates under a statutory mandate from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Art, with revenue derived from a mix of student contributions (semester fees, housing rent, meal sales), state operating subsidies, and capital grants from Bavarian ministries (including the Housing and Construction Ministry and the Family Ministry) for housing construction projects. Pricing is mandated to remain affordable and subsidized rather than market-rate; for example, Semesterticket add-on pricing is fixed at €43/month with counseling services at €10/session and fee waivers for students in financial difficulty. Distribution is exclusively direct through physical on-campus facilities (refectories, housing complexes, counseling offices) supplemented by an online services portal for housing applications and BAföG administration. Go-to-market is minimal given the captive institutional customer base; communication relies on the werkswelt.de website, social media channels, on-campus signage, and university student-representative networks.

The organization is currently executing an aggressive housing expansion program, having invested over €65 million in 2025 across multiple sites, with approximately 600 new housing units planned or under construction in Ingolstadt (Lutz21, 231 units), Nuremberg (Maximilianstraße, 171 units; Avenariusstraße modular project, 341 units), and Neuburg an der Donau (27 units). Partnerships with construction firms Pöttinger Immobiliengruppe and Lechner Group support this buildout, while core funding flows from Bavarian state ministries and the city of Nuremberg. Leadership is headed by Managing Director Mathias M. Meyer with Andrea Gerlach-Newman (Kanzlerin of TH Nürnberg) chairing the Verwaltungsrat.

Name

Mensa der KU Eichstätt

Legal name

Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg

Website

https://studentenwerk.uni-erlangen.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg operates the Mensa der KU Eichstätt and provides subsidized dining, student housing, financial aid, and counseling services to over 53,000 students across Bavarian universities under a state-mandated public-law structure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Student Services

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514), Food Service Contractors (72231), Food Services and Drinking Places (722), Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (721310)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Dining & Meal Plans (EDALADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Service & Dining Operations Management (Managed Cafeterias) (EDAEALAG), Retail Dining & Quick Service (On-Campus) (EDALADAB)

Keywords

• Student dining services
• Student housing
• Financial aid administration
• Psychological counseling services
• Campus childcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlangen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and State Support: As a public institution (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts), the organization receives government funding from Bavaria to support its operations
2. Student Housing Rent: Rental income from student dormitories and housing facilities across multiple locations
3. Meal Sales: Revenue from food service operations at refectories, cafeterias and cafebars across university campuses

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Operates subsidized refectories, cafeterias and cafebars providing affordable meals (including plant-based GrünWerk and healthy MensaVital lines) to students at multiple university campuses. Also provides publicly subsidized student housing, BAföG financial aid administration, psychological and social counseling, childcare, semester transportation tickets, and cultural programming as part of a statutory mandate.

Product overview

Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg operates as a comprehensive student services organization providing dining (Mensen/Cafeterias), housing, financial aid (BAföG), psychological counseling, childcare, cultural activities, and transportation services. The core dining operations include traditional refectories and the plant-based GrünWerk menu line and MensaVital healthy eating program. Housing services encompass multiple dormitories across the region. The organization is an Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts (public law institution) under Bavarian state supervision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GrünWerk: A plant-based menu line offering dishes such as GrünWerk-Burger and GrünWerk-Currywurst.
• MensaVital

Products and services

• GrünWerk Plant-Based Menu Line
• MensaVital
• Dönerteria am Südcampus
• Psychological Counseling Service (Psychologische Beratung)
• BAföG (Amt für Ausbildungsförderung)
• Student Housing (Studentisches Wohnen)
• Semesterticket (Student Transportation Ticket)
• Day Care / Kindertagesstätten
• Social Counseling (Sozialberatung)
• Cultural Events (Kultur)
• Event Service / Catering (Veranstaltungsservice)

Quantifiable outcome

• 431 student housing units planned/opened in Ingolstadt (2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Lechner GroupmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 February 2025Lechner Group from Uehlfeld was awarded the contract for constructing the 341-unit modular student housing project at Avenariusstraße in Nuremberg. The project uses prefabricated concrete modules for rapid construction.
• Pöttinger ImmobiliengruppemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 3 February 2025Pöttinger Immobiliengruppe is the developer/builder of the Lutz21 student housing project in Ingolstadt with 231 units. They are responsible for the construction of this major housing project.
• Regionales Rechenzentrum Erlangen (RRZE)coreTechnology or IntegrationRRZE provides technical hosting and operation of the website infrastructure for Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg. They process website visitor data on behalf of the organization under a data processing agreement.
• Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg (VGN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVGN partners with the student services organization to provide the semester ticket for students. The organization acts as the contract partner with VGN, collecting student contributions and managing the ticket program for over 53,000 students.
• Universities in Service AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Technische Hochschule Nürnberg, KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, TH Ingolstadt, Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg, and other regional universities for providing student services on campus.
• Vorstadtverein Nürnberg Nord e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe local neighborhood association collaborated with the student services organization for information events about the Avenariusstraße construction project.
• Deutsches StudierendenwerkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe German National Association of Student Services (DSW) represents student welfare organizations nationwide and provides support and coordination for member organizations like Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW): National umbrella association of all German Studierendenwerke. Not a direct competitor but the coordinating body and political representative for the subject entity's peer group.

Direct peers

• Studierendenwerk München: Largest Bavarian Studierendenwerk serving students in Munich. Operates the same statutory mandate model with comparable dining, housing, BAföG, and counseling services—directly comparable in structure and scale.
• Studierendenwerk Würzburg: Regional Bavarian Studierendenwerk under the same state-supervised public-law structure, providing parallel services to students in Lower Franconia. Direct mandate peer with similar revenue model and service mix.
• Studierendenwerk Berlin: Large urban Studierendenwerk serving Berlin's universities with the same statutory mandate model. Comparable service breadth (dining, housing, counseling, BAföG) at significantly larger scale and urban complexity.
• Studierendenwerk Hamburg: Major German Studierendenwerk providing the same integrated student services portfolio. Direct mandate peer serving Hamburg's universities and UAS institutions.
• Studierendenwerk Regensburg: Another Bavarian Studierendenwerk operating under the same Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts framework. Comparable service portfolio (dining, housing, BAföG, counseling) serving University of Regensburg and OTH Regensburg.
• Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg (parent entity): The parent legal entity of the subject company; the parent organization itself operates the broader Studierendenwerk including headquarters in Erlangen and Nuremberg. Included here for completeness as the natural direct comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo: International food-services and facilities-management company with significant university dining operations in Europe. Comparable food-service delivery model but commercially operated rather than public-mandate based.
• Compass Group (Chartwells): Global contract food-service provider; its Chartwells division specifically serves higher-education markets. Overlaps in campus dining and residential meal programs but as a private competitor.
• Aramark: Global food-service and facilities-management provider operating university dining and concessions programs across multiple countries. Comparable in the dining/food-service vertical but as a commercial contractor rather than statutory institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mensa-der-ku-eichst%C3%A4tt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Mensa der KU Eichstätt