Dallmayr
The history of Dallmayr can be traced back over three centuries. The family-owned company developed from a so-called "Spezereien-Handlung" (grocer's shop) into a brand enterprise that is internationally renowned and is famous, in part, through its "Prodomo" coffee blend. Today, Dallmayr is one of the leading names on the German coffee market. Contemporary new products such as Dallmayr Crema d’Oro and Dallmayr Monaco add to the variety of the range.
Dallmayr coffee has been a well-known name to people in Munich for many years now. As early as 1930, Dallmayr operated an "electric coffee roaster" in his parents' house on Dienerstrase. Now, just as then, customers are sold freshly roasted coffee in the coffee department of the delicatessen each day. Coffee is taken from exquisite, hand-painted porcelain vessels crafted in Nymphenburg, and weighed on beam balances specially designed and produced for Dallmayr.
A list of the world's best delicatessens would be unthinkable without Dallmayr. The Dallmayr delicatessen in Munich is a magnet for visitors. Year after year, it attracts more than 1.4 million tourists from all over the world, and the same number of local residents visit the institution in the heart of their city. Visitors from near and far are greeted by the aroma of coffee, truffles and chocolate, and the appetizingly presented homemade salads and other specialties that truly tempt the palate. A spirit of tradition suffuses the large house with its historic facade - one can easily sense that cultivated food and drink are abundant here.
The history of Dallmayr can be traced back long before 1930, however, to almost two centuries earlier. The company's roots actually began around 1700 when a merchant from Munich named Christian Reitter began operating a trading business in the same location as the future Dallmayr. The company evolved over the years and eventually gained its namesake from Alois Dallmayr in 1870, a merchant and owner from Wolnzach in Hallertau. In 1895, Alois Dallmayr sold his building and shop to Anton Randlkofer. After Randlkofer's death just two years later, his widow Therese Randlkofer took over as company manager. A sensational turn of events at the time: a woman in charge!
Around 1900, thanks to the competent management of Therese Randlkofer, Dallmayr soon became one of the best delicatessens in Europe. The company is awarded the title of purveyor to the Royal Bavarian Court and is able to boast a list of customers that includes the German imperial family and 14 other royal houses in Europe. In 1912, the shop expanded, almost doubling in size and employing a total of 70 people. This expansion was soon deterred by the financial collapse of the Great Depression. In 1931, Dallmayr, like many during the era, fell on hard times after Black Friday. The delicatessen looks for another mainstay for the business and decides on coffee.
In 1933, Dallmayr hired Konrad Werner Wille, who helped bolster the start of the Dallmayr coffee era. At just 19 years old, Konrad, a coffee expert from Bremen, established a special department for coffee at Dallmayr. He purchases raw coffee, oversees work on the roasting machine in person, and organizes sales. The concept of a Dallmayr coffee brand was born.
Just a few years later and out of the troubles caused by the economic crises, Dallmayr is again faced with a challenge caused by World War II in the 1940s. The war is catastrophic – the headquarters on Dienerstrasse are razed to the ground. Paul Randlkofer and Konrad Werner Wille dedicate their body and soul to restoring the business.
The 1950s brought restoration and early success to Dallmayr, instilling a necessary ray of hope in the business. The Dallmayr building has a new facade and radiates a new splendor. The coffee business develops well, and it is not long before the good reputation of the delicatessen is matched by that of the company’s coffee. This run of success brought further expansion of the company during the 1960s with the development of the specialty coffee Prodomo, which quickly became popular among coffee lovers throughout Bavaria. The expansion was also supported by the establishment of the Alois Dallmayr Vending Service.
With the establishment of their vending service, Dallmayr became one of the first companies in Germany to develop high-quality products for vending machines, laying the foundation for Alois Dallmayr Vending Service. Today, Dallmayr Vending & Office has grown to become the leading provider in Germany for coffee enjoyment at the push of a button. More than 50,000 Dallmayr vending machines are in operation in a total of 14 European countries and in the Middle East.
Despite its buoyant growth in recent years, Dallmayr has remained a family-run company. It is managed to this day by the owners, Florian Randlkofer and Wolfgang Wille, who are supported by the next generation of the family. In 2015, Florian became the fifth generation of the family to manage the company, taking over from his father Georg Randlkofer.
In addition to the maintenance of family ownership, Dallmayr's approach to coffee is another characteristic that lends to the company's high-quality products. The secret behind the unmistakable character of Dallmayr coffee lies in the raw beans: they use only exceptional highland varieties from the finest growing regions in the world, and they prioritize family businesses rather than large plantations.
Sourcing from small businesses enables Dallmayr to work in close contact with the farmers, and their experts visit locations to inspect the quality in person. Dallmayr experts buy only coffee that has ripened slowly and fully in high regions with a favorable climate, and that has been carefully picked and prepared by hand. The coffee cherries are then ‘washed’ in a special process that also serves to enhance the qualities of the green coffee beans.
Once the coffee has been carefully and hand-selected, Dallmayr experts in Germany begin their taste tests. Dallmayr experts sample up to 400 cups of coffee every day to test different deliveries and to determine which blends should be used. The challenge consists of achieving the same taste profile for each variety of Dallmayr coffee year after year, despite variations in the quality of the harvest. In this way, Dallmayr can guarantee that your cup of prodomo or Crema d’Oro, for example, will always have a delicious flavor.
Dallmayr is passionate about its coffee beans, and that passion is as historic as the company. The tradition of inspecting coffee harvests in person began when Konrad Werner Wille joined the company in the 1930s. At the age of just 19, the merchant came from Bremen to Munich with the task of establishing a specialist coffee department at the Dallmayr delicatessen. He developed an excellent range of coffees. Traveling through the countries where beans are grown, he purchased raw coffee and later stood at the roasting machine in person to refine the art of releasing the coffee's full aroma. He did not stop experimenting until he was completely satisfied with the results.
Dallmayr still lives up to this spirit and level of passion demonstrated by the young Konrad Werner Wille. Their roasting experts do not simply make do with any old blend – they make it their mission to unlock the best possible aroma from every bean. They set about their work with the knowledge of which bean can be used for which specialty and with a high level of finesse. Within the team, experience is passed down from generation to generation. This level of quality and integrity is evident in every cup of Dallmayr.