2024-08-28 21:34:34
The kebab chain owned by footballer Lukas Podolski wants to establish itself outside of Cologne. To achieve this, the kebabs will no longer only be prepared by human hands.
Football world champion Lukas Podolski has big plans for his Cologne-based kebab chain Mangal. In the future, he wants to rely on machine assistance in preparing his kebabs. 2,400 machines are planned that will produce and sell bowls of kebab meat, kofte or bulgur without any staff.
The first robots are expected to be launched in some branches in the Cologne/Düsseldorf area as early as 2025. If this introductory phase is successful, the former national player’s business plans include 1,600 units in Germany and 800 machines in his native Poland.
The machines should be able to prepare up to eight dishes at once within two to four minutes. Orders are placed via a touchscreen, similar to McDonald’s self-service terminals.
The robots are the work of the Hamburg-based robotics start-up Circus, which is already listed on the stock exchange and specializes in the complete automation of complex cooking processes. Although the company does not yet have any real customers, it has letters of intent with operators of canteens in Beijing and a German catering provider in refugee homes.
Podolski’s kebab chain is still in its early stages. In 2010, he opened the first Mangal shop with his business partner Metin Dag. Ten years later, the expansion began via independent franchisees. The website currently lists 30 branches. The aim is to establish kebab as a branded product – with Podolski as the brand ambassador. In addition to fresh dishes, products such as bags of chips and sauces in jars are also to be expanded into the range.
A symbol of Mangal’s nationwide ambitions is the opening of a branch in Berlin at Kottbusser Tor. If the concept is successful, the chain could accelerate its growth thanks to the machines, as there is no need to recruit staff and smaller locations are sufficient. However, the investment in the machines is not insignificant: according to Circus, each machine costs between 150,000 and 200,000 euros.