Highly profitable, long-established butcher shop with catering services in the Cologne/Bonn region

Our client is a down-to-earth, long-established company now in its third generation, located in the heart of the Rhineland. For decades, the company has been known and renowned for its quality, freshness, efficiency, excellent value for money, and home-style cooking.

The butcher shop, which also offers a catering service, has established a near-monopoly market position and stands out thanks to its combination of traditional craftsmanship, modern management, and customer-focused service. The company has performed exceptionally well, particularly in the years following the pandemic, and today demonstrates impressively strong profitability.

The company serves three key market segments (butcher shop with retail location, catering service, and institutional kitchen), each with varying regional reach, thereby combining local roots with a supraregional presence.
The institutional kitchen is the company’s top revenue-generating pillar and forms the backbone of its value creation. Approximately 1,100 freshly prepared lunches are produced and delivered daily—365 days a year. Long-standing partnerships ensure the company a stable order book, predictable revenues, and a high degree of operational continuity.
The fully equipped attached bistro—which is currently closed due to time constraints—used to offer, in addition to the classic selection of meats and sausages, daily specials as well as hot and cold snacks. It also served as a customer magnet and a gathering place for regulars from the neighborhood.

In the current fiscal year 2025, revenue of more than €2.5 million and an operating profit of over €1.0 million are expected—a trend that has also been reflected in previous fiscal years. The revenue and earnings outlook for the future is excellent due to the company’s strong market position and positive market developments.

The business premises are owned by the shareholders and may be sold as part of the transaction. The company currently employs 22 people. Employee turnover and sick leave rates are low.

The current shareholders wish to devote more time to their personal lives in the future. The issue of succession has not yet been resolved. The sale of the company to an external successor is therefore an important business priority that is being treated as a top priority. The company offers a new owner significant potential for scaling up and modernization, as the current management maintains a deliberate “laissez-faire” style and has not yet engaged in targeted marketing or sales efforts.

The strategic challenge now lies in consistently tapping into this existing potential through targeted development—particularly in the areas of marketing, sales, and product line expansion. The goal is to maintain and further expand the company’s position as the regional market leader.

The ideal successor should possess strong business management skills and, ideally, training as a butcher and/or chef. Additionally, the successor is expected to demonstrate collaborative leadership skills, foster a family-like work environment, and have a strong affinity for food.
The successor’s goal should be the long-term development of the business.