The Wilhelmstraße refectory and cafeteria on Tübingen’s Tal campus reopened at the end of 2024 following several years of refurbishment. In 2025, the location developed into the main driver of growth within campus dining services. With more than 482,000 meals sold, sales volumes were around 65% higher than those achieved by the temporary Shedhalle refectory.
Across all refectories, a total of 1,374,822 meals were served, a significant increase compared with the previous year (2024: 1,260,205 meals). Revenue from food and beverages in the refectories rose by 13.0% to €5.941 million. Cafeteria revenues increased by 7.1% to €2.969 million.
At the same time, personnel and cleaning costs increased significantly compared with the previous year. To ensure the long-term quality of the dining services offered, meal prices were adjusted during 2025. The average price of a daily meal rose to €3.64, compared with €3.30 in the previous year.
The reopening of the Wilhelmstraße refectory created opportunities for new service offerings. Since the 2025 summer semester, the cafeteria has also been open on Saturdays during the lecture period, providing students, staff, and visitors with a place to study, work, and spend time on campus.
Since November 2025, the [kœri]werk® premium currywurst concept has expanded the range of offerings at the Wilhelmstraße cafeteria. The sausages are available in both meat-based and vegan versions and can be served with bread or steakhouse fries, accompanied by a selection of seasoning blends. The response has been exceptionally positive: more than 14,000 portions were sold during the first three months after opening.
Other locations also introduced culinary highlights during the year. In autumn, the Reutlingen refectory hosted a meat-free week, while a festive Christmas dinner was offered in December at the Tübingen, Hohenheim, and Nürtingen locations.
Head of Wilhelmstraße Cafeteria
“[kœri]werk® has brought a breath of fresh air to our cafeteria. The original concept was developed by Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe and has been adapted for our location. It has been extremely well received by our guests. What is particularly important to us is that we have been able to create an affordable offering that appeals to a variety of dietary preferences. Almost half of the sausages we sell are vegan.”
Since September 2025, the Studierendenwerk has been offering an alternative to traditional checkout counters through the introduction of a modern self-checkout system. Guests place their trays beneath a camera-based item recognition system, which automatically identifies the selected food items within seconds. Especially during peak hours, this significantly reduces waiting times and helps ease the workload of the refectory team. The system has proven successful in day-to-day operations, and its rollout to additional locations is planned.
Head of Wilhelmstraße Refectory
“No one wants to spend their lunch break standing in line forever. The new self-checkout system helps our guests get to their seats more quickly and gives them more time for what really matters: taking a break and connecting with others.”
For several years, the Studierendenwerk has offered Autoload, a convenient service that enables faster payment in refectories and cafeterias. When the balance on a campus card falls below a predefined threshold, it is automatically topped up, eliminating the need to use a recharge terminal. In 2025, the Studierendenwerk digitalized and simplified the application process for Autoload. As a result, this well-established service has become even more accessible and attractive for students and staff.
refectories / cafeteria
Meals Sold
Revenue
![Außenansicht der Cafeteria Wilhelmstraße mit Hinweis/Wernung für das neue [kœri]werk® Angebot.](https://www.my-stuwe.de/wp-content/uploads/diagramme-2025-koeriwerk-1030x579.jpg "Diagramme_2025_Koeriwerk")
![Zubereitung von Currywürsten im [kœri]werk® der Cafeteria Wilhelmstraße](https://www.my-stuwe.de/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/studierendenwerk-tuebingen-hohenheim-steakhouse-pommes-und-currywuerste-vegan-fleischhaltig-bei-koeriwerk®.jpg.webp "Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim_Steakhouse-Pommes und Currywürste (vegan & fleischhaltig) bei [kœri]werk®")
