25 years of Freddy Fresh: How do you make the best pizza?

From Kathrin Krüger

Thiendorf/Laußnitz. Spain, France or England - the nations of the European Football Championship are currently in the varieties of Freddy Fresh again. But it's not just pizzas that you can order at Freddy's, you can now also order the Sea Breeze bowl with rice and salad. Or Freddy's fruit sorbet. The pizza service, which was founded 25 years ago, has expanded throughout Germany. From A for Aschersleben to Z for Zwickau. Freddy Fresh is also known in Wolfenbüttel and Braunschweig. There are locations at train stations such as Saalfeld, Nordhausen and Jena. Founder Michael Welde, however, is at home in Thiendorf.

The 47-year-old, who unfortunately refuses to be photographed, still remembers July 1999 well. "I was working with a friend at a pizza delivery service in Dresden to finance my business studies," says the likeable restaurateur.

The two quickly realized: we can do that too. So they registered their own company, and on September 5, 1999, he delivered his first pizza, says Michael Welde. "To a family at Rehefelder Straße 25." He even still knows their name. Other branches were soon opened in Freital and Leipzig. The name Fresh naturally stands for the freshness that characterizes the products. "And Freddy, that was just something that sounded appealing," says Michael Welde. In 2009, Freddy Fresh AG was founded in Thiendorf, which exclusively operates the franchise business.

Personnel problems and raw material costs

At its peak, there were up to 96 franchise branches. There are currently 82, says the man from Thiendorf, who is currently working as a vacation representative at his second company, Naturcamping am Brettmühlenteich in the Zschorna district of Thiendorf. After all, there are around 1,500 people working for the Freddy Fresh brand. The first spin-offs were former employees who set up their own business, says Welde.

Born in the Eastern Ore Mountains, he naturally had the goal of growing right from the start. That was easier in eastern Germany. But the current market shakeout is becoming more and more widespread here too. "Until two years ago, we were opening five to ten new stores a year," says the Freddy founder. Due to the current economic situation, hardly anyone dares to take the step into self-employment.

Whereas there used to be virtually no insolvencies, the cost explosion is now forcing even good people to give up. Probably soon in Grossenhain too. "There are currently 15 jobs under threat," Welde lists. He runs the head office in Laußnitz with eight employees. 15 to 20 employees are needed in each branch, including the drivers. "But like everywhere else, there are staffing problems and rising raw material costs." With the exception of Christmas, the branches deliver every day in order to supply customers alongside the competition. And to keep them.

Electricity costs have also risen and account for an average of 100,000 kilowatt hours per year. "Unfortunately, more and more customers are having to decide on price," says Michael Welde. "Because the budget for a pizza order is getting smaller - this is currently making it difficult for franchise partners to survive."

So how do you make the best pizza? In addition to the special yeast dough, it is the fresh recipe ideas and new creations that make Freddy Fresh so successful, according to the company founder. It also depends on the service provided by the owner. Michael Welde counts the coin system introduced three years ago - a bonus offer that allows customers to save money - as service in a broader sense.

For the actual anniversary in September, he is once again offering a raffle. Welde: "Every pizza comes with a raffle ticket, and every second one is a winner." What he would be most pleased about for the 25th anniversary, however, would be standardized digital cash registers as the same prerequisite for all pizza delivery services. This formal equality is still far from being the case everywhere.