BAKING CULTURE AND EXPERIENCE DINING
Bakery craftsmanship and flexible cooking in front of guests directly in the sales area – a true recipe for success.
The name Köhler has been synonymous with baking culture for about 220 years and over six generations. Walter and Manfred Köhler took over their parents' business in 1979, the sixth generation of their family to do so. Over the past 40 years, the brothers have transformed their traditional company into a modern bakery with 28 branches.
As a true trendsetter, Walter Köhler made cooking in front of diners an integral part of his new brand concept when he 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 now makes up more than half of the turnover in Laib & Leben stores.
Mr Köhler, you know the potential of front cooking through many years of experience. Is there an advantage that is particularly important to you?
Walter Köhler: Without a doubt, its flexibility. Laib & Leben is always good for a surprise, because we like trying out new things. When it comes to front cooking, we work with the mobile cooking station B.PRO COOK I-flex. This compact cooking station 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 store. Tomorrow, we will be serving lunch in the event bakery for a children's birthday party, and the day after, the COOK I-flex will assist us with catering. I constantly come up with new ideas about where we could use it. I love this freedom.
This flexibility and lack of restrictions are crucial for success. Another advantage of front cooking that is often mentioned is individuality. How do you see this?
Walter Köhler: Catering to customer wishes is a matter of course for us since everything is cooked freshly. Working with the COOK I-flex means we can now more actively offer alternatives, for instance 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.
Diversity and individuality play an important role for you. Can you give us some practical examples of how front cooking supports you at Laib & Leben?
Walter Köhler: 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 the 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.
Flexible front cooking evidently brings clear advantages in terms of your food offer. But what about dealing with the technology?
Walter Köhler: There is no doubt that we cook more efficiently with the COOK I-flex. I'm very pleased with the COOK I-flex technology because induction is quick and precise in its operation. This makes it easy for our staff and also regulates energy consumption. I am really impressed that B.PRO not only supplies a product, but rather a comprehensive solution – including inspiration for suitable dishes if I want. These are the best conditions for ensuring that we can utilise the station to its full potential.
What conclusion can you draw from your experience with front cooking?
Walter Köhler: The Laib & Leben brand has grown continuously since its foundation. It now combines traditional craftsmanship with modern experience dining at our ten stores – and our success proves us right. I'm looking forward to implementing many more ideas with front cooking.
Compact and efficient: the mobile COOK I-flex cooking station
