Delicious food with good ingredients – in an environment that feels like home: With Birdie & Co. Laura realised her dream. We followed the founder around so she could show us her daily routine and the challenges independent female entrepreneurs face today.
‘Standing in the shop, interacting with the guests, making shots of coffee on the espresso machine, but also sitting at the desk, writing out tenders – this variety is what it’s all about’, Laura Müller says about her work with a big smile on her face. With Café Birdie & Co., the 31-year-old really came into her own. Her dream: a restaurant that represents good working conditions as well as tasty products with high-quality ingredients – a place where the boss herself ensures that this promise is kept.
Strategic cooperation allows integrated solutions – for example, professional kitchen appliances on preferential terms.
More about the strategic approach Wholesale 360 in the Annual Report 2018/19
Müller’s work has changed drastically over the past 3 years: What started out as a 2-person project on 33 m² with her boyfriend has now grown into a company with 30 employees; and soon they will open a third location. Müller still prefers to stand at the coffee maker herself, greeting and serving her guests. However, tasks such as shift and personnel planning, order processing for catering and invoicing are now also part of her routine.
Modern kitchen technology for efficient hospitality
In order to improve processes for self-employed people like Müller, METRO has been collaborating with PENTAGAST, the largest German association of suppliers for the hospitality industry and large kitchens, since September 2019. With the collaborative SMART & EASY solution, customers can now obtain professional appliances such as combo steamers and dishwashers at discounted prices. Modern kitchen technology makes tasks in the hospitality business faster and more efficient.
‘We know that restaurateurs often do not have the option to purchase much-needed but costly kitchen appliances. Jointly with PENTAGAST, we offer hospitality entrepreneurs attractive discounts for the use of such equipment and thus enable them to survive on the market in the long term’, says Frank Jäniche, CEO of METRO Germany.
Customised food and technology solutions
Furthermore, by collaborating with Germany’s largest hospitality equipment association, METRO opens up an even more diverse range of kitchen equipment for customers. For example, Birdie & Co. founder Müller purchases fresh pineapples from METRO – by the pallet. Consequence: Deliveries of 300 units keep one employee busy for a good day and a half cutting up pineapples. That takes time – and ultimately money. Therefore, Müller started contemplating with her METRO customer manager: Isn’t there a way to somehow make the annoying cutting process more efficient? As it turned out, there was in fact a better way: Her METRO customer manager contacted a PENTAGAST affiliate to discuss a professional pineapple cutter and other equipment.
This is precisely what METRO wants to create through this collaboration: new possibilities for balanced food and technology solutions. Customised for each respective company – from a single source. ‘We are indeed very happy that METRO is expanding its offering to include other options’, says Müller. Instead of having to go through several contact persons and pursue different avenues, there is now one source for all of it.
This is precisely what METRO wants to create through this collaboration: new possibilities for balanced food and technology solutions.
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