9. April 2026
Buy & Build Insights – Case Study: Gustoso Group
AUCTUS is the leading investment firm for the mid-market in Europe and a pioneer in successful buy-and-build concepts. As part of our analysis series “Buy & Build Insights,” we examine the strategic mechanisms behind successful platform investments. An outstanding example of the redefinition of a fragmented market is the Gustoso Group. The case demonstrates how a professionalized multi-brand platform can generate above-average growth.
The Transformation in Numbers
- Expansion: From fewer than 10 units at acquisition to over 200 locations today.
- Revenue growth: Increase from less than €10M to a volume of over €300M.
Market Dynamics: From Individual Operations to Professional Groups
Strategic Pillars of Success
- Focus on attractive market segments: The group deliberately concentrates on the fastest-growing areas of the European restaurant industry — particularly fast-casual concepts in the pizza, burger, and modern food segments.
- Institutionalized brand building: Through a specialized “Brand Building Machine,” core brands are scaled with best-in-class expertise in branding and digital marketing.
- Centralized operational backbone: While preserving the culinary identity of each individual brand, Gustoso creates maximum efficiency through the centralization of procurement, controlling, and a unified digital infrastructure (Digital Engine).
- International proof of concept: The platform provides the capital and expertise for national and international roll-out. The fact that 40 % of system sales are already generated outside Germany is proof of its international scalability. Brands such as 60 seconds to napoli (>100 % YoY) and Ruff’s Burger (>50 % YoY) underline this momentum.
Conclusion and Outlook
The Gustoso case study demonstrates that a clear platform logic can fundamentally transform the hospitality industry. The focus is not on the industrialization of the restaurant business, but on empowering culinary concepts through a professional commercial backbone. As currently the fastest-growing player in the full-service segment in Germany, Gustoso is optimally positioned to further drive expansion across Europe.
About Auctus
With over 470 investments over the past 25 years, AUCTUS is the most active private equity firm focused on European SMEs. Our investments focus on majority shareholdings in companies with annual sales of between EUR 10 million and EUR 150 million.
AUCTUS stands for sustainable organic growth, but also inorganic growth through acquisitions. We achieve this in a trusting partnership together with the management of our companies. We specialize in building successful medium-sized groups of companies – we make market leaders. The more than 35 experienced AUCTUS investment experts currently manage around 50 platform investments from various sectors of the economy. The total of platform investments with a total of over 200 individual companies generates annual sales of over € 4 billion. Sales and earnings have been growing at >10% per year for years.
Our successful work is regularly rewarded with prestigious awards and top international rankings.