Press release, 06.07.2022
Gastronomic potential in zoos and animal parks
Use case: ROKA provides dynamic solutions at Rheinböllen Zoo
Germany's market leader for mobile catering systems, ROKA Werk GmbH, has implemented ice cream containers, snack lake containers and refrigerated storage containers for Rheinböllen Zoo, thus creating the optimum conditions for exploiting the great gastronomic potential of the zoo.
"It's not just the obligatory fries that are simply part and parcel of a visit to the zoo, but also culinary delights for events such as weddings, children's birthday parties and bistro food for guided tours and workshops," explains Volker Beck, Managing Owner at ROKA, adding: "The catering offer should also take into account the expansion of the enclosures or allow for it in terms of space and must therefore be mobile or at least semi-mobile. It must therefore be mobile or at least semi-mobile - otherwise meerkats and the like will end up getting too close to the deep fryer and stealing the fries. Our mobile solutions can be moved at any time. They give you the flexibility you need when planning."
The concept of the park combines nature & enjoyment
The Rheinböllen animal park stands for the discovery of local nature. Under the slogan "A real enjoyment of nature", you can explore unadulterated flora and fauna here. Such offers have experienced a new boom since the coronavirus pandemic.
Kristof Fröhlich, Managing Director of Tierpark Rheinböllen GmbH, has creative catering concepts to get young people excited about visiting the zoo. These include "Seezeit", where an all-you-can-eat barbeque with cocktails, deckchairs and live music is served on Saturdays by the large pond. On Sundays, there is "Breakfast in the Park" with products from exclusively regional producers, such as the local organic farm for cheese, the local fruit press house for juice and jam and the sparkling wine cellar for a fizzy treat. In addition to the "robber's provisions" for children, the pre-packed picnic baskets are increasingly being booked by young adults.
Generate additional income via the catering trade - with ROKA
Fröhlich approached ROKA to professionally expand the existing catering equipment. "Originally, we ordered the construction of stainless steel kitchens from ROKA and rented an Airstream food trailer from ROKA for the duration of the conversion during the Easter vacations in order to be able to meet demand. We discovered that the ROKA mobile concept is so cleverly thought out that we sometimes only needed one person to meet the high demand. As a result, we canceled the expansion of the kitchens at ROKA and switched to a container solution. The project had actually been running for three weeks by then. We were able to change the order with ROKA overnight," reports Fröhlich, who runs the zoo as a family business, and adds: "A container was modified for us within a very short time and was ready to go. The dynamism in the partnership and in the solutions was exactly what we needed. We built on that." ROKA's solutions now serve all of Rheinböllen Zoo's food concepts, such as excursion catering, company parties and the zoo school. "From currywurst to vegan tarte flambée, beer from the mobile tap counter to a three-course menu with ingredients from the park itself, we can do everything with ROKA. When the park is full, it simply has to be buzzing. With ROKA, we were able to develop and expand the catering business with a handshake - from family business to family business," says Fröhlich.
There are now three catering locations on 760,000 square meters of parking space. These include the Waldbistro in the existing building, which has been extended to include a mobile refrigerated container and frozen food container from ROKA. The ice cream container was placed directly opposite the Waldbistro. For the winter, when Fröhlich and his team organize the "Christmas in the Park" with Christmas tree sales at the zoo on the Advent weekends, the ice cream container can easily be converted into a mulled wine stand. This ensures year-round capacity utilization.
The forest hut at the large adventure playground serves as the main restaurant and is complemented in the park by the 6-metre-long lake container with snack equipment from ROKA. There is also the lakeside hut, where outdoor events such as the all-you-can-eat barbecue, company parties and weddings take place. The professional serving of cocktails, beer and delicious spritzers takes place here via a drinks counter from ROKA.
"Now everything has a fixed location, but as we are developing very dynamically as a zoo and we don't yet know the infrastructure for the next three years, we are on the safe side here thanks to mobility. We are already frequently moving the refrigerated containers for individual, large events in the middle of the park," reports Fröhlich and adds: "The container solutions blend in very well with our wild nature with lots of water thanks to their simplicity. In many places, we combine the exterior cladding with wood. A sea container like this radiates durability and looks like a rock in the surf. The standard dimensions of the containers ensure standard transport options, which is simply ideal."
All income from zoo operations and zoo catering benefits the animals. "Public zoos don't usually have to make a profit because they are subsidized with public funds. It's different for a privately run business like Rheinböllen Zoo," explains Fröhlich, adding: "That's why professional catering solutions are essential for us to work optimally and efficiently."
Mobile solutions are ideal for animal and amusement parks
ROKA has also placed a mobile ice cream parlor with the regional ice cream brand Gimme Gelato at the Berlin Zoo near the Antelope House and at Tierpark Berlin on the Kakadu terrace. The smart, mobile solutions can be recognized by their mint green summer color, which whets the appetite for seasonal fruit, sweet refreshment and indulgence. The taste experience is made available at arm's length and served with edible spoons and reusable or 100% recyclable packaging. "In the world of zoos, good gastronomic concepts as visitor magnets are simply best implemented with mobile solutions," concludes Beck.
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Gastro sea container 20'
- Sales containers with an industrial look
- All food concepts possible
- also available in 16 feet length
Gastro sea container 10'
- Sales containers with an industrial look
- All food concepts possible
- compact & versatile
DO YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION?
Your contact person:
Karla Mink
T 06471-50888 4701
E karla.mink@roka-werk.de