WHO IS LOCA?
The LOCA Group, owned by Merete Holst and Dorte Juhl Østergaard, operates a number of companies within the restaurant and corporate industry, canteen operations, and consultancy within food and sustainable gastronomy.
- LOCA Restaurants: Owns and operates the restaurants KILDEN in the garden, Almanak in the Opera, Paula and Dolores in Copenhagen, and co-owners of Restaurant RADIO in Frederiksberg.
- LOCA Canteens: Operates the canteen business of the same name, as well as the lunch-to-door concept, The Lunchroom.
- LOCA Management: Provides consultancy within food and sustainable gastronomy, and brings together the managerial and administrative parts of LOCA's own businesses.
MENNESKENE BAG LOCA
Merete Holst, Founder & CEO, Head of Gastronomy
Merete is passionate about raising the bar for what a meal can be – whether it’s served in a fine dining restaurant, a hospital, or as daily lunch at a workplace. Trained as a chef at Hotel d’Angleterre, her gastronomic journey continued as head chef at Le Canard in Aarhus, then one of Denmark’s top 10 restaurants.
After creating Michelin-level experiences for a select few, Merete wanted to make a difference for many. As a hospital head chef, she demonstrated how thoughtfully prepared meals can significantly improve patients’ wellbeing. Before founding LOCA with Dorte Juhl Østergaard in 2017, she was CEO and partner at Meyers Kantiner and Contract Catering for nearly 10 years, overseeing more than 30,000 daily meals. Throughout her career, Merete has pursued meals that are good for both the planet and our health – without compromising on taste.
Dorte Juhl Østergaard, Founder & CCO, Head of Sustainability
Dorte is passionate about creating a world where life can be enjoyed – both by us who live here and now, and by future generations. She grew up with nature and agriculture as her closest playground, and the love for both has left its mark on her entire working life. However, her career started far from Denmark’s borders, namely in the travel industry, where she specialized in developing experiences and hosting that made a difference – experiences and emotions that would be imprinted in the body as memories for life. It was the dream of doing this again that planted the seeds for her to found LOCA together with Merete Holst in 2017. Before that, her career led her back to Danish soil, where she was an independent grower and supplier of fruit and vegetable solutions with Grønne Mølle for 10 years before selling her company. After that, she continued her career in some of Europe’s largest agricultural organizations within plant-based foods. With 25 years of experience as both an entrepreneur and director within the food industry, Dorte brings a wealth of experience to LOCA, which she has supplemented with an MBA from Henley to specialize in sustainability within the industry. Dorte therefore also has the overall responsibility for incorporating sustainability into all parts of the LOCA business.
Christian Hoffmann, Partner & Head Chef,
Restaurant Kilden i Haven
Christian is partner and head of the kitchen at Restaurant Kilden i Haven, and a key member of LOCA’s leadership team. Trained at D’Angleterre, he has previously worked at Kongeskibet Dannebrog.
He joined LOCA in 2019 as head chef at Almanak, helping the restaurant secure Michelin recommendations three years in a row (2019–2021). He later moved to Almanak in Operaen and now leads the kitchen at Kilden i Haven in beautiful Tivoli. Christian is passionate about seasonal, local ingredients, creating visually stunning dishes, and has a particular love for seafood and seasonal vegetables.
Michael Steijn, Head of Sustainable Procurement & IT
Michael – or Mr. Manifesto, as most people call him in LOCA – is LOCA's Head of Sustainable Procurement & IT and the spokesperson when it comes to sustainability and carbon accounting. He ensures that all data about our purchasing behavior is recorded, analyzed and translated into action in the organization. With almost 20 years of experience in purchasing, data and sustainability – especially in the food and beverage industry – he is one of our strongest driving forces in the work of translating knowledge into real results. His organic journey started back in 2008, when Merete hired him to measure organics, among other things. In 2011, this data was converted into Organic Food Labels in Meyers Kantiner – as the first major chain in Denmark. And since then, he has led his own household to a stable silver level in organic accounting. Michael is also at the forefront of our collaboration with the industry and external partners – relationships we prioritize highly at LOCA. With his solid experience, he has documented that a high level of ambition for organic food also leads to more plants on the menu, a lower CO₂ footprint and new conversations about raw materials in kitchens.
