How many students come to the canteen today – and what do they prefer to eat?
These questions are part of everyday life for the kitchen managers at Studierendenwerk Münster. Thanks to new AI-supported software from the young Münster-based start-up better bites, such forecasts should be much more accurate in future – and help to avoid food waste.
From the canteen idea to start-up success
Founders Nico Nonnen and Mattis Sippel know the canteen business from their own experience: “We’ve been guests in the canteen almost every day for several years,” they say. “Today we are proud to see how we are doing something good for the environment with better bites and at the same time making the kitchen managers’ day-to-day work easier.”
Her enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and data forecasting gave rise to the idea for her software during and after her studies. The system analyzes factors such as weather data, semester times, lecture schedules and previous sales figures and can predict with astonishing accuracy how many guests will be coming in the next few minutes and which dishes will be particularly popular.
Success in all canteens
Following successful tests in the Mensa am Aasee, the software is now running in all of the Studierendenwerk Münster canteens – with impressive results.
“The forecasts are usually very accurate and make my work much easier,” reports Stefan Wessendorf, kitchen manager at Mensa am Aasee. “Of course, my experience also helps me, but the software is a valuable support.”
For the Studierendenwerk, the collaboration with better bites is an important step towards making everyday life in the canteen more sustainable and efficient. In the next phase of the project, further improvements are to be developed with feedback from the kitchen managers – for example, to automate processes more and use resources in an even more targeted manner.
Photo left: The founders of “better bites” during a visit behind the scenes at Mensa am Aasee. Stefan Wessendorf, Kitchen Manager of Mensa am Aasee; Catharina Calvez, Climate Protection and Sustainability Management Officer (both Studierendenwerk Münster); Mattis Sippel and Nico Nonnen from better bites (from left)
Photo right: Markus Orthaus, Head of Administration Gastronomic Facilities, Stefan Wessendorf, Catharina Calvez (all StW Münster), Nico Nonnen and Mattis Sippel from better bites (from left)
© Studierendenwerk Münster 2025
