Hello, I'm Till, the founder of råbowls.

Hey, I’m Till – founder of råbowls. My journey into the food industry wasn’t planned. In fact, before starting råbowls, I knew very little about running a business, let alone working in gastronomy. But I was always passionate about healthy eating, and when I couldn’t find the kind of food I wanted, I decided to create it myself.

The Idea: Fast, Fresh, and Real

Back when I was studying in Groningen, I constantly struggled to find healthy, satisfying meals that fit into my hectic schedule. Between classes, studying, and work, I found myself stuck between ultra-processed supermarket meals and fast food that left me feeling sluggish.

I knew there had to be a better way. Why wasn’t there a place that combined the speed of fast food with the quality and nourishment of slow food? I wanted real, fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and meals that were both convenient and genuinely good for you. That’s when the idea for rå was born.

At just 21 years old, with no experience in business or hospitality, I took the leap and opened my first concept, Rå – økologisk salatbar, in 2018. With only €35,000 and a lot of determination, I launched my first store in Groningen. The concept was simple but effective: fresh, healthy bowls that looked as good as they tasted. The response was amazing—local media, including Vogue Netherlands, featured us, and demand quickly grew.

A Hard Lesson: The Right Idea in the Wrong Place

Despite the strong start, I soon realized that Groningen wasn’t the ideal market for my concept. It’s a small, student-driven city, and while people liked what we offered, the core audience—urban professionals with busy lifestyles—wasn’t big enough.

I learned an important lesson: a great product isn’t enough. Location and audience matter just as much. This realization led me to make a bold decision—I needed to take råbowls to a bigger city with the right energy and demand.

A Fresh Start in Hamburg: The Birth of råbowls

I decided to bring my vision back home to Hamburg, a city that felt like the perfect fit—vibrant, dynamic, and full of people who appreciate high-quality, healthy food. In 2021, I opened råbowls at Gänsemarkt, refining the concept with better branding, a stronger menu, and more efficient operations.

This time, I was prepared. I had learned from my early mistakes and focused on building a brand that was not just about food but about a movement—a new way of thinking about fast food. Our bowls were designed to be both functional and flavorful, appealing not only to health-conscious eaters but also to athletes, creatives, and professionals looking for something better than the usual lunch options.

The response exceeded expectations. Our community grew, and råbowls quickly became a go-to destination for people who wanted to eat well without compromising on taste, speed, or quality.

Challenges & Growth: Learning, Adapting, Scaling

The journey wasn’t without obstacles. We experimented with retail, selling our bowls in premium EDEKA stores and partnering with Gorillas. It seemed like a promising move, but working with large retailers meant low margins, operational complexity, and less control over our brand. Eventually, we pulled back, realizing that our strength lay in our own locations and direct customer relationships.

Then came 2022—a turning point. I decided to continue råbowls on my own, taking full ownership of the business. It was an intense period where I handled everything myself, from store design to marketing to operations. It was overwhelming, but it also gave me complete creative freedom to shape råbowls into what I had always envisioned.

More Than a Brand – A Movement

Today, råbowls is more than just a place to grab a healthy meal. It’s about redefining what fast food can be—proving that speed, quality, and health don’t have to be mutually exclusive. We reject the idea that fast food must be unhealthy, uninspiring, or unsustainable. Instead, we’re building an alternative that makes eating well easy, enjoyable, and accessible.

I never set out to be a food entrepreneur. I just wanted to solve a problem—one that I and so many others faced every day. And in doing so, I built something much bigger than myself. råbowls is about more than just bowls; it’s about changing the way people think about food.

Welcome to råbowls—where we’re redefining fast food, one bowl at a time.

keywords:

healthy fast food, plant-based meals, fast casual dining, urban healthy eating, raw food restaurant, fresh food Hamburg, vegan bowls Hamburg, flexitarian diet, nutritious fast food, organic food Hamburg, healthy meal prep, sustainable restaurant concept, mindful eating, best healthy restaurants Hamburg, where to eat healthy in Hamburg, nutritious and fresh meals on the go, healthy fast food options for professionals, flexitarian meal options in Hamburg, sustainable eating habits for busy people, Till Constantin Lagemann, Gänsemarkt, Rathaus, Hamburg, ABC-Strasse, Große Johannistraße