Having grown up in a family of restaurateurs, René Dost, better known as Redo, has always enjoyed German snack food and understood the unifying power of hearty, everyday food. He trained as a restaurant specialist and chef in the former GDR, preparing to take over the family business. Then the fall of communism not only brought democratic freedom to that part of Germany but also led to major changes in many people’s lives. For René Dost, it was an opportunity for self-determination and ultimately success. And so, in 1991, he bought a food truck in Potsdam. Very soon, he bought another, and just five years later, aged 21, he founded his own catering and event service business, which perfectly captured the spirit of the time. In the years that followed, René Dost built a business empire with 38 divisions, over 200 employees and an annual turnover of 20 million: the Redo group of companies. Today, the company’s portfolio includes cafés, bars, burger joints, XXL Restaurants, an events venue, an ice cream factory, a food truck fleet and even its own catering academy.