What ZAUG GmbH does

Tischlein Deck Dich Verpflegungsbetriebe ZAUG gGmbH is a non-profit (gemeinnützige) catering operation and Zweckbetrieb (purpose business) of ZAUG gGmbH, a charitable vocational training and employment organization headquartered in Heuchelheim near Gießen, Germany. Founded in 1988 as a whole-food snack stand (Vollwert-Imbiss) in cooperation with Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, it has evolved into a specialized caterer supplying daily freshly-prepared meals to Kindertageseinrichtungen (Kitas), Grundschulen and weiterführende Schulen across the Stadt and Landkreis Gießen. The company also directly operates school cafeterias (Mensen) at secondary schools and offers supplementary products including allergen-free meals (sourced externally to avoid cross-contamination), lunch packages for school trips, hygiene training, and community-facing 'Gläserne Küche' open-kitchen events.

The operating model is built on a single centralized Großküche at Ludwig-Rinn-Straße 10 in Heuchelheim, using modern combi-ovens (Konvektomaten), energy-saving band dishwashers, and an EU-compliant hygiene system with microbiological testing conducted by Lebensmittelinstitut Linden. Three menu lines are offered daily, including a vegetarian option and a BIO-certified organic menu; all menus are priced identically to reflect the social mission. The company carries four stacked certifications: BIO-AHVV (since 2006), DGE quality standard for Kita and school catering (since July 2016), EU Hygiene, and CO2-optimized large kitchen — supporting a sustainability program that includes portion-size customization, food-waste-to-biogas disposal, and a gradual transition to electric delivery vehicles.

Revenue is generated through recurring per-meal catering contracts with educational institutions, transactional fees for one-time lunch packages, and managed cafeteria services. The customer base is entirely public-sector education within one German district. Distribution is direct via the company's own delivery fleet. Marketing relies on a content website, monthly newsletters, community open-kitchen events, and local press coverage. The operation runs with a headcount of approximately 13 employees and two managing directors (Dr. Cornelia Seitz and Kirsten Rappold-Soy).

Name

ZAUG GmbH

Legal name

Tischlein Deck Dich Verpflegungsbetriebe ZAUG gGmbH

Website

https://tdd-kinder.zaug.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tischlein Deck Dich, the catering Zweckbetrieb of non-profit ZAUG gGmbH, provides DGE- and BIO-certified daily school meals to kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools in the Gießen district from a central kitchen in Heuchelheim.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Institutional Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Nutrition & Meal Programs (CACFP/Snack Programs) (EDACAMAA)

Keywords

• School meal catering
• Kindergarten food service
• Organic institutional catering
• Allergen-free meal plans
• Educational institution catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Heuchelheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Catering services to educational institutions: Recurring meal supply contracts with kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools in Gießen district. Provides daily freshly prepared meals including bio menus, vegetarian options, and special allergen meals. Revenue is generated through per-meal pricing with all menus offered at the same price.
2. Allergen meal service: Special dietary meals for children with medically diagnosed food allergies or intolerances, sourced externally and delivered separately to avoid contamination. Weekly menu ordering system for special meals.
3. Lunch packages: One-time meal packages for school trips or outdoor picnics, replacing regular lunch delivery. Consists of two sandwiches, vegetables, fruit, drink, and a sweet.
4. School cafeteria (Mensa) operations: Direct operation of school cafeterias in addition to catering delivery services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ZAUG GmbH, through its catering subsidiary Tischlein Deck Dich, provides daily institutional meal services for kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools in the Gießen district of Germany. The subsidiary was founded in 1988 as Vollwert-Imbiss and offers BIO-certified, DGE-certified meal lines including allergen-free options, vegetarian dishes, and lunch packages, delivered to educational facilities in the region.

Product overview

Tischlein Deck Dich is a Zweckbetrieb (purpose-driven subsidiary) of ZAUG gGmbH operating as a full-service catering company for educational institutions in the Gießen area. The core offering centers on daily meal provision for Kindergartens (Kita), Grundschulen (elementary schools), and weiterführende Schulen (secondary schools), with three distinct menu lines including a daily BIO-certified organic option. The service portfolio extends to allergy-specific meals, lunch packages for field trips, and school cafeteria (Mensen) operations. Additional value-added services include the 'Gläserne Küche' open kitchen tours, monthly nutrition newsletters, free hygiene training for staff, and customizable portion sizes. All offerings adhere to DGE (German Nutrition Society) quality standards, BIO-AHVV organic regulations, EU hygiene requirements, and CO2-optimized kitchen guidelines. The company operates from Heuchelheim and serves institutions across the Gießen city and district area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Menülinie für Kita & Grundschule
• Menülinie für weiterführende Schulen
• Bio-Menü (organic meal line)
• Allergenessen (allergen-free meals)
• Lunchpakete (lunch packages)
• Mittagstisch (community lunch table)

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V. (DGE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2016DGE certifies Tischlein Deck Dich's meal offerings according to their quality standards for Kita and school catering. Regular re-audits ensure compliance with standards for food selection, meal planning, and hygiene.
• Certified organic food supplierscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2006BIO-certified suppliers providing 100% certified organic ingredients for daily bio menus. Annual certification audits ensure compliance with organic regulations.
• Justus-Liebig-Universität GießencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988The catering concept was jointly developed with Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen in 1988 and has been continuously evolved since then based on scientific findings and customer satisfaction.
• External allergen kitchenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial allergen-free meals sourced externally to prevent cross-contamination, as Tischlein Deck Dich does not operate a diet kitchen.
• Nah.Land.Küche project partnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooking project bringing produce from the region to the cooking pot. Featured in local press (Gießener Anzeiger, Gießener Allgemeine).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo Deutschland: Multinational onsite services provider with school and public-sector meal contracts in Germany. Comparable in catering-to-educational-institutions model and DGE-compliant offerings, but competes at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Dussmann Service Deutschland: Large German facility services and catering group that supplies institutional meals including to schools, hospitals, and corporate clients. Overlaps with Tischlein Deck Dich in institutional catering but operates a much broader service portfolio and national footprint.
• Eurest Deutschland (Compass Group): Subsidiary of Compass Group providing contract catering in Germany across workplaces, education, and healthcare. Directly comparable in providing DGE-compliant meals to institutional clients, but at substantially greater scale and geographic reach than a single-district caterer.
• Wisag Catering: German facility and catering services company with institutional and educational meal offerings. Comparable in catering to schools and kindergartens, but functions as a division of a much larger national facility services group.
• Aramark Services Deutschland: Global contract foodservice provider operating in Germany across education, healthcare, and corporate segments. Directly comparable end-market and DGE-aligned menu engineering, but embedded within a much larger national and international portfolio.
• Klüh Service Management: German family-owned facility services company with catering services for schools, kindergartens, and care institutions. Overlaps with Tischlein Deck Dich in Kita/school catering but operates as part of a broader multiservice portfolio across many German cities.

Direct peers

• Menüpartners (formerly Menüplan): German school and kindergarten meal caterer with daily fresh delivery across multiple regions. Comparable in target segment, DGE/BIO orientation, and centralized kitchen model, though it operates across several German states rather than a single district.
• Apetito AG: German caterer with a dedicated school and Kita meal division operating across multiple federal states. Directly comparable to Tischlein Deck Dich in target customer (educational institutions), meal model (daily freshly prepared lunches), and DGE-aligned quality positioning, but at much greater national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zaug-gmbh

Compliance4 records

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 ZAUG GmbH