From the Village Bakery to Industry Pioneer

The history of Schäfer Dein Bäcker GmbH begins with Johann Schäfer, who laid the foundation for the family business in 1920. In the first few decades, the focus was on traditional bakery products, but the major growth spurt came when Johannes Schäfer, of the third generation, took over the business. Starting with just three specialty stores in 1995, he launched an expansion that has grown the company to a proud 170 locations in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse today. A significant milestone in the company's recent history was the move to the state-of-the-art headquarters in 2020. This facility in Limburg combines 14,000 m2 of bakery, logistics, administration, and training center. "This step was necessary to support our continuous growth and optimize our processes," explains Johann Schäfer, who has been managing the company since 2015 along with his father Johannes Schäfer, and since 2023 with the Commercial Managing Director Ali Eskiocak. 

Success Factors: People, Diversity, and Technology

A key to success is the continuous investment in training and further education. "Today, we hire 90% unskilled or non-industry employees and provide internal training," explains Johann Schäfer. This concept is a response to the skilled labor shortage and ensures the high quality of the products. "Our business runs on people: we need qualified bakers in production and friendly, competent staff in sales." Another secret to success is the diversification of the product range. In addition to classic bakery products, the sale of hot drinks and snacks is playing an increasingly important role. This adaptation to the changing consumption habits of customers is an essential part of the business strategy. The issue of digitalization is also of great significance to the company. Artificial intelligence is particularly used in the area of order forecasting to increase efficiency. "Our AI-based software helps us to precisely predict the demand for bread and rolls for our specialty stores," explains Johann Schäfer. 

Growth with Vision

Sustainability is a central point of the future strategy of Schäfer Dein Bäcker GmbH. Certified as Greenbaker, the company is heavily engaged in environmental protection and social projects. "We invest heavily in our local agriculture and social projects," says Johann Schäfer. With a clear vision and a committed team, the company strives for organic growth and the expansion of the franchise model. With this drive, Schäfer Dein Bäcker GmbH will continue to play a leading role in the industry in the coming years.