Whether in university canteens, staff canteens or care facilities, these places demonstrate how closely nutrition, climate and society are linked. Communal catering reaches millions of people every day, making it a litmus test for how sustainable eating can succeed.
According to DEHOGA (the German Hotel and Restaurant Association), around 17 million people in Germany visit establishments in the professional communal catering sector every working day. Several factors are driving the growth of this segment, which has now become one of the largest areas of the hospitality industry in Germany: an increasing number of single-person households and women in employment, the dissolution of traditional meal structures, more individualised eating habits, greater distances between home and workplace, and the expansion of all-day childcare in nurseries and schools.
The trade magazine ‘gv-praxis’ divides communal catering into three pillars, with a total market volume of around 17 billion euros in Germany:
Business
Around 8,000 company restaurants with a turnover of 11.4 billion euros
Leaders in-house:
- Volkswagen: 51.1 million euros turnover (2023)
- BMW: 40.6 million euros
- Daimler: 27.2 million euros
Care
11,680 nursing homes, 1,900 hospitals and over 1,000 rehabilitation facilities
Total turnover: 3.5 billion euros
Education
19,000 all-day schools, 57,000 nurseries and kindergartens, and around 900 student union canteens and cafeterias
Total turnover: 2.1 billion euros
Meeting Place and Trendsetter
Today, communal catering is far more than simply providing meals for large groups of people. Canteens and refectories serve as social meeting points and fulfil important community functions: they foster collegial interaction, help maintain employees’ performance and well-being, and provide jobs and training opportunities
“The communal catering sector carries enormous responsibility and makes a significant contribution to health, well-being and social inclusion. Eating together creates connections, encourages exchange and strengthens bonds.”
According to a survey conducted by Foodji among 1,000 customers, catering options make the workplace more attractive and provide incentives to return to the office rather than continue working from home.
Still in first place: According to an analysis of the most popular lunchtime dishes by Apetito, spaghetti bolognese with minced beef once again tops the list of favourites. Photo: Apetito
Because they reach large numbers of people, refectories and canteens are regarded as trendsetters when it comes to sustainability, the food transition and nutrition education. They are actively working to implement the “National Nutrition Strategy” adopted by the German Cabinet in January 2024. This strategy calls for communal catering that promotes healthy and sustainable diets, using primarily plant-based, seasonal and, where possible, regional and organically produced foods for reasons of climate protection. A climate-friendly diet focuses mainly on fruit, vegetables, pulses and nuts. Animal products such as meat, milk and cheese remain part of this diet, but in significantly reduced quantities. Operators of canteens and refectories are making every effort to fulfil their social mandate for greater sustainability. However, they often reach their limits due to restricted budgets, staff shortages and rigid legal regulations.
Climate Protection and Canteen Choices
According to a study by the international data and analytics group YouGov Germany, commissioned by service provider Sodexo, 63 percent of 1,000 employees surveyed said they would welcome a reduction in meat offerings in staff restaurants for reasons of sustainability and climate protection. The reality, however, looks rather different: although demand for vegetarian dishes is rising, at Daimler Truck in Wörth, for example, the “Big Benz Burger” remains a bestseller, ahead of chicken gyros. At the pump manufacturer KSB in Frankenthal, favourites include schnitzel with chips and salad, as well as fried and curried sausages. An analysis of the most popular lunchtime dishes by Germany’s largest canteen operator and ready-meal producer, Apetito, also found that spaghetti bolognese with minced beef once again took first place, followed by the rice dish chicken korma and the noodle dish bami goreng.
Eating at Work: The Top Ten Most Popular Lunchtime Dishes in Germany. Diners in staff canteens prefer meals featuring beef, chicken or pork. Image: Apetito
Eating at Work: The Top Ten Most Popular Lunchtime Dishes in Germany. Diners in staff canteens prefer meals featuring beef, chicken or pork. Image: Apetito
No significant change in demand has been observed by Manuel Glockenmeier, Head of Division at accente Catering & Hospitality: “The demand for vegetarian and vegan options is perceptibly increasing. We are being asked about this range more and more often. However, our sales figures do not yet reflect this trend. Classics such as cheeseburgers, gyros, schnitzel or spaghetti bolognese remain among the best-selling dishes. What is clearly noticeable, though, is a growing awareness among our guests of the origin and quality of the food. Issues such as sustainability and regional products are clearly taking centre stage.”
“The proportion of vegetarian and vegan dishes has remained constant at around 30 percent for about five years.”
According to Apetito CEO Dr Jan-Peer Laabs, the traditional German currywurst (curried sausage dish) is on the decline compared with international and vegetarian options, but will remain a fixture on canteen menus.
“International and vegetarian dishes are being increasingly well received, which makes it harder for German classics such as currywurst to maintain their popularity.”
Meat-Free Alternatives
According to Apetito’s analysis, meat-free alternatives are much more readily accepted by children and young people than by older generations. In senior care facilities, traditional meat-based dishes continue to top the list of favourites.
In campus catering, students are calling for even stricter measures to ensure consistent climate protection and a greater focus on plant-based food. The Plant-Based Universities campaign advocates a fully sustainable, plant-based approach to catering in order to tackle the climate and nature crisis. The international student initiative was launched in the United Kingdom at the end of 2021 and is now active at more than 70 universities across Europe. In Germany, three student bodies have already voted in favour of a complete switch to plant-based catering, most recently the student council at Heidelberg University in July 2025.
Vending Machines to Tackle Staff Shortages
Food vending machines, such as those offered by Foodji, promise quality and freshness, demand-oriented catering with reduced food waste, and less packaging waste thanks to reusable containers. Photo: Foodji
Alongside the climate crisis and rising costs, the shortage of skilled workers is one of the major challenges in shaping communal catering today. Digital tools such as pre-ordering apps or AI-assisted menu planning improve efficiency, reduce costs and streamline processes. Also on the rise are location-independent, self-service vending machines that operate around the clock. They can replace traditional canteens in medium-sized companies or those with shift work. Companies such as Eurekantine and Foodji, for example, promise the same quality and freshness as freshly cooked meals on site, while providing needs-based catering with less food waste and reduced packaging waste thanks to reusable containers.
The range includes up to 300 main and breakfast dishes – from traditional home-style cooking to Italian and Asian meals, as well as vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Users can choose from a set number of menus each day and purchase their meals online via their personal account, either on a desktop or through an app. The food, freshly prepared daily in the company’s own kitchens, is delivered chilled to the smart vending machines, where it is collected by the customer. A QR code tells the machine exactly how much time is needed to finish heating the dish to perfection. Afterwards, the reusable crockery is returned via a smart collection unit.
A Brief Journey Through the History of Communal Catering
Communal catering is a fast-growing service industry and by no means a modern invention. In fact, it has a long tradition: as early as the Olympic Games in ancient times, during Greek theatre performances or in the construction of pyramids and temples, thousands of athletes, spectators and workers had to be fed. In the Middle Ages, monasteries served meals to passing pilgrims – modest at first, later more generous and varied.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, when Germany’s universities were founded, convents, colleges and bursaries – the predecessors of today’s student unions – provided food for their often penniless guests. From around 1800, public soup kitchens distributed so-called “poor people’s soups” to those in need. With industrialisation, factories began providing dining rooms where workers could heat up the meals they had brought from home in tin lunch boxes.
Pioneers such as the Hoechst chemical plant near Frankfurt, Krupp in Essen, BASF in Ludwigshafen and Siemens in Berlin established the first company canteens. By the time the Second World War ended, their number had already grown to 17,500. The German economic miracle gave communal catering in West Germany remarkable momentum. Fixed menus were replaced by a choice of dishes, and free-flow systems put an end to long queues at serving counters. Since the early 1990s, independently run company canteens, private leaseholders, separate limited companies, and regional as well as national catering firms have been providing guests of all ages and backgrounds with appealing, affordable meals.
Monika Mathes
Trade journalist
Reports for Foodtech Now! on growth markets in the meat and protein industry.
