German Restaurants Are Expanding: 57 Concepts You Should Know

While Germany has long been considered a country offering many traditional dishes, there are now an increasing number of restaurants popping up that are bringing new flavours to the table. 

The country is a playground for hospitality entrepreneurs, and we have the proof: a round-up of the 57 expanding restaurant businesses with solid concepts and strong operations. You’ll find everything and anything: classic burger joints, steakhouses and pizzerias, but also cat temples and American diners. But even within the same category, you’ll find very distinctive brand personalities. 

Ready for a deep dive? In no particular order – let’s go…

Hans im Glück 

In the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale Hans in Luck, Hans starts his journey with a big piece of gold, which he trades down for things of lesser value. Eventually he remains with nothing, but he’s happier than ever. Burger chain Hans im Glück embraces the same less is more philosophy for its burgers: only fresh ingredients and the highest quality. You don’t really need anything more to be happy. Hans im Glück offers a creative interpretation of the ‘burger’ for the health-conscious crowd. 

United Curry

If you ever had a currywurst in Germany, chances are it was at one of United Curry’s franchises: Wurst Teufel, Grillbar, GrillGut, or Bratwerk. United Curry has a systematic approach to creating and managing different brands of the typical German snack. Aspiring franchisees will find different types of locations for all settings: food stalls and mobile food trucks for areas with high foot traffic, and mini counters and larger bars for train stations, supermarkets, and petrol stations. 

Immergrün

Immergrün is evergreen food for fresh people. This vegetarian concept started out in 2005 in Berlin as a juice and smoothie bar. 17 years later, the chain has evolved into a go-to place for vegans, vegetarians, and also omnivores who want to take a break from meat and enjoy salads, falafels or wraps made to order with ultra-fresh ingredients. 

Nordsee GmbH

Not many modern restaurant chains can claim to have been in the business for more than 120 years. Nordsee is one of them. Founded in 1896 as a fishery and wholesaler, in 1964 it opened the first seafood restaurant/fish shop — where one could eat seafood-based meals or buy raw seafood to take home — and grew very rapidly from there. Today, Nordsee operates solely as a seafood retailer and restaurant, with more than 370 stores worldwide and the same passion for fresh sustainable seafood. 

Kochlöffel

The wooden spoon is a simple but evocative image of what this chain of snack restaurants stands for: home, and not just for the honest-to-goodness grilled chicken and currywurst, but also for the values of trust, care, and friendliness that this family business – run by the second generation – has put forward for more than 60 years. The Kochlöffel chain has about 80 outlets and is actively looking for new franchisees. 

Frittenwerk

True to their battle cry ‘Fries before guys’, at Frittenwerk they love fries and won’t apologize for it. The menu features three types of dishes served in many different versions: poutine (French fries topped by cheese and gravy), various fried snacks, and salads for the cholesterol-conscious. The level of Frittenpride is such that this chain also has a whole range of merchandise (t-shirts, sweaters, bags, and even gold chains) dedicated to their love for the humble spud, fried like the French (or is it the Belgian?) do. 

L’Osteria

In Italy, L’Osteria is a restaurant where you give up fancy decor in exchange for homemade traditional food, cooked with time-honoured recipes that have been handed down for generations in the cook’s family. In Germany, l’Osteria took this concept and added a touch of modernity. The first restaurant opened in 1999, and since then they have expanded like their pizzas, which go well beyond the edge of the plate. 

Peter Pane

At Peter Pane (pronounced as it’s written, which means bread in Italian) they create burgers in an atmosphere of light-heartedness and joy. Except when it comes to helping the community, which is when they get serious. The chain has a charity program that has given over €350,000 over four years to support projects for children and young people and organizes BMX workshops with pro-athlete Chris Böhm. 

Back-Factory

Whether you are a professional or occasional snacker, the Back-Factory has a range of freshly prepared sandwiches, hot snacks, pastries and baked items to happily treat yourself between meals. The first Back-Factory opened in 2002 as a self-service bakery, and a few years later the concept evolved from ‘grub’ngo’ to ‘snack and linger’. The brand was acquired in 2021 by foodservice giant Valora. 

Extrablatt

Far from your usual watering hole, Extrablatt is a pub open to everyone, young and old, every day at any time of the day. It’s a family-run business that develops food and takes care of logistics all internally, to give customers a relaxed experience. The menu includes burgers, a breakfast buffet, cocktails and the ever-present currywurst. 

Sausalitos

A 29-year-young restaurant chain that offers authentic Californian-Mexican cuisine with a menu featuring burgers and burritos, chicken wings and quesadillas, and the widest selection of cocktails you’ll ever find in any restaurant. The ambience is as colourful as its dishes, with themes of two Mexican icons, Frida Kahlo and The Day of the Dead. Sausalitos’ heart, however, is definitely green: they only use biodegradable packaging materials and work with regional suppliers of meat and vegetables. They will plant a tree in Ghana for each Green Karma Mojito that gets ordered.     

Coffee Fellows

Coffee Fellows is all about excellent coffees. The two founders, Stefan and Kathi in 2019 travelled to the foot of Kilimanjaro to get to know in person the farmers who produce their beans. Espressos and cappuccinos are not really prepared, rather, they’re handcrafted by capable baristas who play with grinding mesh, water temperature and brewing time to give the best coffee experience. The brand includes a Coffee Fellows Hotel in Dortmund, where you can feel at home, before and after having a great macchiato. 

Ma’loa

The idea of bringing a piece of Hawaii to Germany came to Ma’loa’s founder Daniel Brandes during a trip to the island. Ma’loa is, indeed, the closest you can get to the Aloha State without leaving Germany. You won’t just get Poké Bowls for every type of diet – vegan, vegetarian, low-carb, gluten-free or paleo – made with the freshest seafood and vegetables, but also a taste of the Island’s vibe, its friendliness, colours, and laid-back attitude. 

MUNDFEIN

An open kitchen, a modern design and fresh preparation – these are the secrets of MUNDFEIN‘s success. The company was founded in 2008, and already represents over 40 pizza stores in Germany and has been a certified full member of the German Franchise Association since 2015. The franchise MUNDFEIN Pizzawerkstatt operates delivery services for tasty pizza of the finest quality. Frozen ingredients are taboo: the yeast dough is fresh. The brand does not use industrial pre-production. MUNDFEIN was named “Best Pizza Delivery Service” by deutschlandtest.de and received the “Best Product Quality” award for the second time in a row in 2023.

BackWerk

If you step foot in any of the 400 BackWerk outlets, you’ll be welcomed by an incredibly wide choice of baked goods of all types. Sandwiches, hot dogs, pizzas, muffins, pretzels, and of course, bread: imagine anything baked, sweet or savoury, BackWerk probably has it. It was launched in 2001 as a self-service bakery, and it remains true to this concept, adding cold and hot drinks, salads and even fresh fruits. In 2017, the brand was acquired by food service provider Valora. 

Burgerme

In the last three years, many restaurants were forced to rely on deliveries to survive. For Burgerme, delivery has been at the core of its business model since its inception in 2010. The simple formula ‘premium burgers delivered in 25 minutes’ is a proven success and the chain is growing at a stunning pace, breaking one record turnover after another. Their menu includes evergreens like cheeseburgers and new launches for vegans and vegetarians. 

Ciao Bella

Ciao Bella is based on a simple principle: Italian food (the real one, the one made with fresh ingredients and love) should be a fundamental right for everyone. You won’t find the entire universe of Italian cuisine there, just the staples we all know and love: pizza and pasta with salads and starters. It’s the “Italian next door” for your quick breaks, when you have little time, but you still want to eat tasty and fresh.  

Kamps

Kamps prides itself – and rightly so – on finding the right balance between artisanal bakery and modern efficiency. Bread, pastries and the rest of their baked products are prepared without the usual shortcuts of industrial bakeries such as using additives and ready-made baking mixes. What Kamps uses are home-made sourdough, its own recipes, and the craftsmanship and patience of its bakers. Founded in 1982, in May 2015 Kamps was acquired by Groupe Le Duff, a French global operator in the Café and Bakery space. 

Janny’s Eis

Janny’s Eis was founded in 1982 by Slovenian emigrant John Ferdinand Komac in Ellingstedt, a small village in the North of Germany. In 1989 the business was sold to Schöller (an ice cream giant at the time), and eventually became part of the Nestlé Group. Today, Janny’s Eis is the largest ice cream franchise in Germany. Many years have passed, but the memory of Komac (who recently passed away in his home country) and his entrepreneurial spirit are still celebrated in Ellingstedt. 

Pommesfreunde

To bring you the best street food, Pommesfreunde went to the four corners of the world, so you won’t have to: Belgium for the fries, Chicago for burgers, Berlin for the currywurst, and New York for the hot dogs. Carefully selected meat and potato suppliers (there’s no such thing as frozen pre-fried fries there), vegan and halal choices are the hallmarks of Pommesfreunde’s quality and love for gourmet street food. 

Smiley’s Pizza Profis