Bakery culture meets experience dining
16 Sep 2019
With his new branches of Laib & Leben, Walter Köhler is mapping the future – and COOK plays a key role in his plans.
It was clear from our very first meeting that this man is a passionate trendsetter. It is therefore hardly surprising that cooking in front of diners was already an integral part of his new brand concept when Walter Köhler opened his first Laib & Leben store back in 2010.
“At Laib & Leben, we have ventured to fuse traditional craftsmanship with modern experience dining. Bread and baked goods as culture, embedded in a trendy location in the middle of an office building at City Park in Karlsruhe, was a truly unique proposition at the time,” says Walter Köhler. Its success has certainly proven him right – food service in his Laib & Leben branches now accounts for 50 % of the sales. And growth continues unabated.
What added value does COOK offer?
Walter Köhler is familiar with the possibilities and limitations of front cooking based on his day-to-day experience. As the first partner on our COOK journey, he summed up the advantages that COOK I-flex offers his concept.
1. More flexibility
Laib & Leben is always good for a surprise, because we like trying out new things. COOK I-flex to go allows us to become extremely flexible with our dishes, eliminating the need to think about structural requirements.
Today, we are making the most of the good weather by cooking outside in front of our branch. Tomorrow, we will be serving lunch in the event bakery for a children’s birthday party, and the day after, COOK I-flex to go will assist us with catering. I constantly come up with new ideas about where we could use it. I love this freedom.
2. More individuality
We already pay close attention to what our customers want, as everything we serve is freshly cooked. Working with COOK means we can now more actively offer alternatives and cater for allergy sufferers, vegetarians or people with belief-based dietary requirements. This is all made possible by the versatility of this induction-based cooking technology.
Even the mise en place can be organised perfectly with matching accessories: I have direct access to different ingredients in a compact space directly in front of the diners. Ingredients can be stored separately and prepared on different cooking inserts. This ensures transparency and individuality, which our customers deeply appreciate.
3. More variety
We offer much more than a quick coffee to go accompanied by a croissant. Our customers can relax and enjoy their time in our establishments. For example, we go all-out with our breakfast offer. We provide food when patrons are hungry, not just during strict meal times.
With COOK I-flex we can switch between dishes throughout the entire day – cooking breakfast omelettes alongside lunch specialities and waffles, for instance. This reinforces our concept and adds even greater variety to the menu while increasing customer loyalty.
4. More efficiency
I’m very pleased with the COOK I-flex technology because induction is simple and precise in its operation. This makes it easy for our staff and also regulates energy consumption.
I love the fact that B.PRO does not just provide me with a product, but rather a complete solution. The academy’s training programmes and the inspirations for quick, simple meals ensure that we make excellent use of all the possibilities that this station offers.
