"WE CURRENTLY USE THREE MEIKO DISHWASHING MACHINES, AND WE'RE DELIGHTED WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE. WE’LL BE INSTALLING A FOURTH MACHINE AT THE END OF 2017."
In 2004, not long after receiving her credentials as a master baker, Janine Maier took over the reins of her popular, family-run business. It has prospered ever since, and in 2010 she opened a new facility in Jena, which was initially kitted out with a production area and specialist bakery store. At the time, they also considered opening a café on site, but, says Maier, "we felt the investment risk was simply too high; we needed to earn some money first!"
Today, the family of bakers is pleased that they made the decision to wait. "We see now that our original plans would have been too modest," say the Germars, pointing out the much bigger scale of the café concept they did eventually launch six years later. Alongside their other three outlets, two of which are based in Jena and feature small cafés, the modern extension containing the new bistro and café has become something of a flagship for the family business and a big draw for customers.
"We got just about everything right," says Maier. "The only thing we sometimes think is too small is the serving counter. You really need to put all your cakes and pastries on show, because customers only buy what they can see."
Germar is very much a traditional bakery that has achieved success by offering a wide assortment of cakes and baked goods, and they still see plenty of potential in that approach. "There is no other bakery in our region that offers such a large selection of cakes and pastries," says Maier, summing up a philosophy that bodes well for this family-run bakery business.
Comprehensive service from a single source
Behind the scenes, MEIKO dishwashing machines produce sparkling results, getting all the dirty dishware from the café perfectly clean and hygienic every time. "We currently use three MEIKO dishwashing machines, and we're delighted with their performance," emphasises Wilfried Germar.
"We're planning to renovate our third branch in late 2017, and that will include the installation of a fourth machine from meiko."
He opted for MEIKO on the basis of their quality, reliability and top-notch after-sales service. "Everything runs really smoothly. If anything goes wrong with one of the machines, a technician arrives within an hour and sorts it out. We like that idea of having one brand and a single source of technical support. It sets us in good stead for the future."
