The Bavarian capital has been entering an annual “state of emergency” since the year 1810; the moment the first “o’zapft is” echoes across the Theresienwiese (“Wiesn”) each September, the very pulse of the city shifts. 6.7 million visitors flocked to the Munich Oktoberfest in 2024. Beer gardens, tents, and rides were packed to the gills. Seven million liters of beer changed hands, along with countless plates of fried chicken, pork knuckles, bratwurst, and roast pork.
It’s a logistical behemoth that relies on behind-the-scenes precision to hold it all together: Bavarian camaraderie outside, Swiss-watch precision behind the scenes. The recipe for success? In almost every large Oktoberfest tents (and countless smaller ones), cutting-edge Rational appliances make all the difference. They’re quiet and fit seamlessly into the kitchen’s existing processes, but when every second counts, they’re indispensable. When it comes to reliability, restaurateurs rely on proven technology – and Rational delivers. Michael Lorenz, Corporate Chef at Rational, is one of the people who keeps this engine running. “For me,” he says, “the Wiesn starts as soon as the last one ends.”
Helpers in the background
Lorenz works backwards from the finished dish. “We start with a finished plate and then figure out how to get there as quickly, easily, and effectively as possible. We meet up with chefs and restaurateurs at our headquarters in Landsberg am Lech to work on recipes and implementation methods. Cooking programs, quantities, processes – we have to hammer it all out beforehand so that we can save it to our ConnectedCooking platform. That’s our master plan.” After that, Lorenz travels to the Wiesn bearing the USB sticks containing the exact cooking processes for each individual dish. “They go straight into the cooking systems, whether they’re at the Bräurosl, the Löwenbräu, or the Weinzelt. A total of 17 festival tents and 35 Wiesn businesses cook using Rational technology. From there on out, the Munich Oktoberfest runs like clockwork.”
Image: Rational
There are always minor adjustments to be made, new dishes, process alterations, a new kitchen team, etc. “When I started in 2014, we had maybe 56 cooking systems on the Wiesn. Today, there are around 210. That didn’t happen overnight. You have to build trust here, and you can only do that by being on location personally, giving the hosts help and advice throughout the year.” Lorenz knows the rules: Munich is a place where business happens face-to-face and deals are made with a handshake – often over an obligatory beer. “If you can’t put a face to the brand, there’s no trust. I got smacked a little for that in the beginning. Verbally, anyway.”
Trust creates connections
Today, Michael Lorenz is a permanent fixture among the Oktoberfest kitchens and has a friendly relationship with many hosts. He knows which restaurateurs expect perfectly cooked pork knuckles, which focus on fresh-made sauerkraut… and how to ensure the necessary capacity to churn out 900 lb of kraut per day. He knows that the kitchen team at the Löwenbräuzelt, led by host Peter Reichert and chef Brukhard Metz, prepares 17,500 portions overnight. Eleven iCombi Pro and one iVario Pro units in continuous operation. Overnight cooking is one of the keys to managing these massive quantities. While the city is sleeping, the cooking systems keep chugging along. Come morning, the roast and the pork knuckles are finished cooking – they need only be brought up to serving temperature or crisped up on demand.
Image: Rational
The MyDisplay function ensures that even temporary staff can work without much training: tap the image, the program starts, done. Lorenz isn’t just a chef, he’s also a problem solver and networker, and sometimes he’s there to provide support and comfort. Lorenz makes sure that cleaning agents are all fully stocked, settings are correct, and each tent’s programs are saved to the ConnectedCooking platform. Not only during Oktoberfest, but also throughout the rest of the year – in beer gardens or at Christmas markets. With over 1,400,000 units in use, Rational cooking systems have been an integral part of professional kitchens for over 50 years – making them the clear market leader.
Magical moments
For Michael Lorenz, the most beautiful moment at Munich’s Oktoberfest is the evening before it starts: “When I go home that night, I know: The Oktoberfest starts tomorrow. And I can be sure that no one’s going to call at three in the morning because a roast isn’t ready.” He can also tell from people’s reactions that Rational is officially integral to the Munich Oktoberfest. “The crowning moment came when one of the biggest critics told me that their pork knuckles had never been as good as they were that year with Rational.”
Image: Rational
For Lorenz, those are the moments that really matter. And they show that the world’s largest temporary food service operation isn’t just about beer, wind bands, and dirndls – it thrives on precision, planning, and plenty of heart and soul. The combination of efficiency, precision and reliability makes Rational the heart of modern gastronomy – and not just at the Oktoberfest. Because when it comes to ensuring that everything runs smoothly, you can rely on Rational – day and night, plate after plate.
The Munich Oktoberfest by the numbers (as of 2024):
- 7 million guests
- Hosts reported an uptick in food sales of around nine percent
- The bestseller remained the Brathendl (fried chicken), but vegetarian and vegan delicacies are also increasingly popular
- Approximately seven million liters of beer were sold
- Countless visitors came from abroad, mainly from the USA and Italy; this year marked the first major uptick in visitors from India
- 3,500 lost and found items were registered, including 700 purses, 315 mobile phones, 150 keys, 300 glasses/sunglasses, five wedding rings, and a dental splint.
