A winning recipe: How K-märkt is redefining sustainable dining

Food Corporate Responsibility Business and Industries
May 16, 2025

Why would three passionate professionals from Michelin-star backgrounds have an ambition to open up a 2,000sqm canteen style restaurant serving hundreds of customers every day?

It’s a question Jens Dolk, co-founder of Swedish corporate restaurant group K-märkt and former sommelier, has often been asked since he, chef Hanna Normark and pastry chef Daniel Roos opened their first restaurant in Stockholm in 2014. But right from the start, the founders had a shared vision: ‘to serve Sweden's best tray lunch – without the tray’.

Fast forward 10 years and K-märkt now has seven locations, a mix of restaurants and cafés open to the public as well as 3 further company restaurants in the Swedish capital, whilst also having expanded into meeting and event catering. It has grown into a high-profile brand, celebrated for its tasty high-quality food and its innovative approach to sustainability and food waste reduction.

And it’s about to grow again. In 2023, Sodexo acquired K-märkt as part of our broader ambition to transform our food operations worldwide, and be a world leader in sustainable food whilst adapting to the local tastes and trends. Two new locations will be opening this Spring.

High-quality food that boosts chef creativity and prevents waste

K-märkt prides itself on doing things differently. That’s an easy statement to make, but much harder to prove. But this is a business that keeps its promises, and has one steadfast aim – to save good quality food needlessly going to waste.

“We don’t contact our suppliers and order what we want,” says Jens. “We ask them what they have available that day. It’s food that might be surplus, near to sell by date or have damaged packaging.”

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Sourcing produce in this way gives Jens and his team of chefs access to high quality food, at a low cost. “We get to cook with tenderloin, for the price of ham,” he says. “The customer gets a fantastic meal, the supplier doesn’t lose money and the food doesn’t go to waste, so it’s a win-win for all.”

There’s no advanced menu planning. Meals are created with the food available each day, and can vary not just day to day but hour to hour. “It’s called Chef’s Choice and we use it both in our restaurants and for events,” says Jens.

A fairer, healthier way of eating that our consumers love

The Chef’s Choice way of cooking is just the start of the story. The way K-märkt cooks, serves and prices its meals also challenges traditional corporate catering methods.

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“Our chefs are constantly cooking throughout the lunch service in open kitchens where our guests can see them at work,” says Jens. “The service is backwards – guests move down the counters selecting their vegetables, salads and sauces first, with the proteins at the end. The result is that people tend to get subtly nudged to eating more of the healthier, sustainable produce.”

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With a buffet style service, the temptation could be to pile the plates high, increasing the chance of food waste. Again, Jens and the team have a sustainable solution, and charge by weight. “No one wants to pay for more than they eat, so they’re thinking more about how much they’re putting on their plates,” he says. “Plate waste impacts the entire process, from the road miles it took for the produce to get to us, to the electricity used to store it, right down to the time it took our chefs to cook it. So this is a fairer system for the customer and so much better for the planet.”

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Exploring new opportunities and inspiring others around the globe

With a loyal and talented team behind him, Jens felt the time was right to grow and feels K-märkt found the ‘the perfect match’ in Sodexo.

“We are a fast-moving, innovative thinking company with an established respected brand. Sodexo is a stable global player; we can help each other grow.”

Jens DolkCo-founder of Swedish corporate restaurant group K-märkt and former sommelier

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Joining forces with Sodexo has already helped K-märkt double its portfolio and Jens feels the brand can give Sodexo the edge, particularly when it comes to new business opportunities. “There’s a saying I’ve heard – that a meeting without food and drink may as well be an email or a Teams meeting. Businesses are looking for ways to entice workers back into the office, and one of the ways they’re doing it is to offer premium catering experiences.”

K-märkt also has a passion to spread its message, and Jens travels around Sweden to share the brands journey and ethos, and hopes that joining forces with Sodexo will help ‘get this story into the world.’

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“We dared to do things differently and we’re getting results as a business, and for the planet. Now we need to educate and inspire more businesses to do the same.”

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Discover more about K-märkt

K-märkt

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Co-creating exceptional workplaces

K-märkt restaurants are at the heart of workplaces in Sweden, something that our clients and consumers love.

Find out more about the priorities of clients and consumers around the world when it comes to the workplace.

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A winning recipe: How K-märkt is redefining sustainable dining

High-quality food that boosts chef creativity and prevents waste

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A fairer, healthier way of eating that our consumers love

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Exploring new opportunities and inspiring others around the globe

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Discover more about K-märkt

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Co-creating exceptional workplaces

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More about Sodexo

Food

Food

Modern Recipe

Workplace Experience

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A fairer, healthier way of eating that our consumers love

Discover more about K-märkt

Co-creating exceptional workplaces

More about Sodexo

Food

Food

Modern Recipe

Workplace Experience