View from the Back
Ramblings of a retiree in France
Trip to Munich: Part I
We hadn’t ventured into Munich from Seefeld the previous Christmas (2021) so a day trip was on the cards this time. The roads were rather treacherous, so we decided to let the train take the strain. The pictures below were taken from the train window and show how bleak it was. It was a very, very cold day, so cold that we only really ventured to two of our favourite institutions, the first of which is Dallmayr’s a veritable Munich, nay German, institution where we enjoyed a seafood lunch in its ground floor cafe.
Alois Dallmayr, usually abbreviated to Dallmayr, is the largest delicatessen business in Europe and one of the best-known German coffee brands: The company has a history of over 300 years and is still in family ownership today. The corporate group has meanwhile been divided into four business units: “Delicatessen and Gastronomy” (which includes the Stammhaus (original store) in Munich where we lunched, Party & Catering, Coffee & Tea and finally Vending & Office (i.e. the sale of drinks and snack vending machines).
How it all began
The origins of the company can be traced back to the year 1700. At this time, the Munich merchant Christian Reitter ran a business that is considered the direct precursor of the present company. Around 1870, the business came into the ownership of Alois Dallmayr, whose name the company still bears today.
He sold the business to Therese and Anton Randlkofer in 1895. Under the management of Therese Randlkofer, a remarkable businesswoman, the Stammhaus (original store) developed into one of the leading delicatessen houses in Europe, with no less than 15 royal purveyor titles.
In 1933, Dallmayr’s coffee era began when a coffee merchant from Bremen, Konrad Werner Wille, came to Munich and established a specialist coffee department in the “Delikatessenhaus Dallmayr” that still exists today. It has achieved international renown, among other things, due to the television advertisement for Dallmayr Prodomo. The coffee business developed so successfully that in 1985 it was established as a spin-off, the independent subsidiary Alois Dallmayr Kaffee OHG, which represents “Coffee & Tea,” is now the largest business unit in the company.
Today, the Alois Dallmayr company headquarters is located in Dienerstraße 14–15 in Munich’s old town. Florian Randlkofer and Wolfgang Wille are jointly responsible and personably liable shareholders of the parent company, Alois Dallmayr KG.
The Dallmayr shop is divided into 19 specialist departments (e.g. coffee, pralines, wine, sausage & ham, fruit & vegetable, fish, cheese, bread, pasta, meat, cold & warm buffet, tea, etc.). Due to the afore-mentioned television advertisement for the brand Prodomo, the coffee department is the best-known of the departments. Just as in the advertisement, the coffee is still weighed with beam scales today.
In the centre of the shop is the Putten (cherubs) fountain, in which unsuspecting crayfish await their fate. To a large extent, the goods offered in the Stammhaus are self-produced. On the second floor, there is a production kitchen, in which 70 chefs create gourmet salads, dishes for the warm buffet and wonderful baked goodies.
What Dallmayr cannot produce on-site for reasons of space – such as smoked salmon or chocolate – is produced in their own factories in and around Munich. In Dallmayr’s praline factory near Munich, more than 40 tonnes of handmade pralines and fruit jellies are produced annually. Furthermore, in June 2003, Dallmayr opened a shop in Terminal 2 of Munich airport, to which a café is also attached.
The “Dallmayr” restaurant, which focusses on classic-modern cuisine, provides seating for a maximum of 40 people and is located in the first floor of the Stammhaus. It was re-opened in 2006 and is one of the three Munich restaurants that have been accredited with two Michelin stars.
On the first floor of the Stammhaus, there is also a café-bistro which provides visitors with a classic coffee house atmosphere and a clear view of the Liebfrauendom (Munich Cathedral), the landmark of Munich. Apart from cakes and in-house coffee and tea specialities, classics such as bouillabaisse, fresh oysters or lobster salad are offered as light lunch dishes. An extensive breakfast menu rounds off the range.
The Stammhaus includes its own packaging station, in which Dallmayr delicatessen items are packaged in gift wrapping. Furthermore, Dallmayr operates an online shop, which delivers products worldwide, though I have had issues in the past with this service.
View from the Back 
I was in Munich many, many moos ago.
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It’s probably not changed that much
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🙂 🙂 🙂 I thought it was beautiful then and by your pictures, it still looks beautiful now.
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It is definitely beautiful
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YAY! Glad to hear it.
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Glad you enjoyed the trip to munich! xo
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Thanks
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I’m familiar with the coffee brand because I used to get it for my one s-i-l for Christmas. Of course I didn’t get it in Munich so I couldn’t enjoy all the other goodies. 😦
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It’s lovely coffee
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Another interesting travelog.
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Thank you
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Hope I make it back to Munich to check this place out 🙂
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I hope you do too. Sorry I didn’t get any great photos of Garmisch and surrounding area under snow.
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Munich has long been on my to do list.
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It’s easily my favourite German city.
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It has just gone up a couple of places on my list.
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Good to know
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Its just so pretty ❤
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It’s a lovely city
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Great pictures! ^^;
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Thanks
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