Tempo, tempo - On stage and at the bar

Speed is not rocket science in the Starlight Express Theater, which was built especially for the fast-paced show. At the World Locomotive Championship, the audience feels the wind when Greaseball, Electra, Ruhrgold or Espresso skate right past them at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour. Speed is also required during the break, because the service team has to fulfil all guest wishes within 25 minutes. Reliable relief and fast coffee enjoyment are provided by four fully automatic coffee machines and two types of coffee.

"The challenge for us is to fulfill all wishes during the 25-minute show break," reports Katrin Fechner, who is responsible for the event department at the Starlight Express Theater. Up to 1,500 guests per performance are served by five employees each in the foyer at two large counters, each with five cash register systems. In addition to cold and hot drinks, pretzels and freshly baked waffles are also offered.  

Coffee enjoyment plays an important role in this, especially in the afternoon performances on weekends. "Top quality coffee variety, prepared quickly and reliably at the touch of a button, can score points here," says our colleague Heike Paske, contact person on site in Bochum. The system solution for the Starlight Express Theatre: Four fully automatic Melitta ® Cafina ® XT4 machines with milk cooler and cup warmer are used in the foyer. There are six coffee specialties to choose from, the café crème beans Monte d'Argento and the espresso beans Bacio Nero are freshly ground. Cappuccino, latte macchiato and latte are prepared with fresh milk. For the tableware, the M-Cup series comes into play.

And who will win the speciality race while enjoying coffee in the Express Theatre? Katrin Fechner takes stock of the 37 shows in July 2022 as an example. The espresso at the bar shows solidarity with its namesake on stage, the Rome-Milan Express Espresso, and generously gives way to others. Café Crème is clearly at the top of the list of visitors during the break, followed by cappuccino, latte macchiato and latte.