BEST WORSCHT IN TOWN

Cult snack bar in Frankfurt am Main once again relies on ROKA containers

Grüneburgweg is home to an institution that has been attracting hungry Frankfurters in droves for over 50 years - the currywurst stall BEST WORSCHT IN TOWN. Lars Obendorfer took over the snack bar founded by his grandmother in 1970 in the 1990s and immediately set about revolutionizing the currywurst. He experimented with spiciness levels and developed delicious sauces for the popular snack classic. He wanted to create something special, and he succeeded.

When choosing a snack bar, the currywurst revolutionary opted for a ROKA snack container and has remained loyal to the premium manufacturer to this day. Since this summer, the manufacturer's second container has been in place at the traditional location. Obendorfer donated the outdated predecessor model to a local sports club. The best sausage in town is now not only available in Frankfurt's Grüneburgweg, but is also sold from an Airstream food trailer and in stores throughout the region. With almost 24 branches, the enterprising company boss has now made his currywurst creations known far beyond the city limits of Frankfurt.

In a recent interview, Lars Obendorfer revealed what he looks for when buying his snacks and why he is planning further projects with ROKA...

INTERVIEW WITH LARS OBENDORFER

What makes BESTWORSCHT IN TOWN different from other currywurst stalls?

In addition to chips and the "oldschool" currywurst, we also serve curry sausages in various degrees of spiciness and flavors. Because my regular customers kept asking for spicier food, I introduced hot sauces, i.e. sauces with different levels of spiciness, to Germany in 1997. Until then, they didn't exist in this country.

How exactly did this process work?

First I started drying habaneros in the oven. However, this stung my eyes so much that I couldn't enter the apartment for two days. So I had to come up with something else. As there were no hot sauces in Germany at the time, some flight attendant friends brought me a selection of sauces from the USA. I then developed the various degrees of heat and flavors - for example lemon curry, BBQ, honey dill mustard or a Christmas curry. At Best Worscht, we also currently offer two plant-based sausage alternatives that are very well received. 15 percent of our customers buy these vegan products from us.

You never gave up the Grünburgweg location that your grandmother opened. Why is that?

Best Worscht is part of the cityscape here, the stall is simply part of it. In Frankfurt, we have a right of continuance, which is why we are allowed to remain on this site. The snack containers and Airstreams from ROKA are also so elegant and of such high quality that they enhance and beautify the cityscape. Our customers also really like them and we constantly receive praise for them.

Best Worscht sells almost exclusively in fixed stores. Why do you still rely on food trucks and containers at the same time?

You definitely have more fun in the van and in the container - a completely different atmosphere. The van is also flexible in terms of location and we can create the character of a snack bar, which is important to us. We are continuing the typical German snack bar culture - with bar tables and everything that goes with it. The container only has the advantage of local flexibility to a limited extent, but that doesn't make it any less attractive for me. The raised sales flap serves as a huge advertising space, which is really great. It is also extremely robust and durable thanks to its design. What's more, it simply looks stylish. And if it does need to be moved, that's no problem either.

What do you expect from a (semi-)mobile snack bar?

I have high quality standards and want the snacks to last for many years, even decades. That way I don't have to keep thinking about new purchases. I have found this quality and longevity at ROKA. What I get here has a solid foundation.

Are you planning any other projects with ROKA?

Yes, of course. I've found a good partner in ROKA and that's why we'll certainly be implementing more projects in the future. Together, we have already created a portfolio of sales units in the Best Worscht look. When a new franchisee comes for our containers or trolleys, I can show them all the models, what they look like and what they would cost. ROKA did a really great job.

The interview was conducted by Ann-Sophie Bader with Lars Obendorfer.