With eatX, the MACK Group is developing a new concept for the theme park and F&B industry – Karls Erlebnis-Dorf in Elstal will be the first operator of the new dark ride dining attraction.
Dining becomes an immersive journey: with eatX, the MACK Group is developing a new category that bridges the gap between gastronomy and entertainment. The concept combines immersive environments, storytelling, gastronomy and ride technology to create a stand-alone attraction, building on the successful fine-dining experience Eatrenalin at the Europa-Park Resort.
The first operator of eatX worldwide will be Karls Erlebnis-Dorf in Elstal: the ‘Strawberry Dining Journey’ is set to open in Elstal, near Berlin, in the summer of 2027. The innovative and patented FlowDiner, the centrepiece of the new concept, was unveiled for the first time at IAAPA Expo Europe in London.
A new concept for the theme park and F&B industry
With eatX, the MACK Group continues to develop the fusion of dining and entertainment: dining itself becomes the attraction. Instead of a traditional dining area, an immersive, all-encompassing experience is created in which storytelling, movement and cuisine all take place simultaneously.
At the heart of eatX is the FlowDiner – an autonomously moving table that transports guests as a group of up to four adults and two young children through various themed worlds.
eatX was developed by the MACK Group. The group includes Europa-Park, the Rulantica water world, the hotel resort, amusement ride manufacturer MACK Rides, the innovation division MACK One and Eatrenalin, the Michelin-starred immersive fine-dining restaurant. Under the leadership of Thomas Mack, Managing Partner of Europa-Park and Founder and CEO of Eatrenalin, the dining experience has been part of the Europa-Park Resort in Rust since 2022. eatX combines engineering, technology, innovation and culinary storytelling to create an unforgettable experience.
For operators, this approach opens up the possibility of developing dining spaces as stand-alone destinations while combining F&B and attraction within a single concept.
Karls Erlebnis-Dorf becomes the first operator
The ‘Strawberry Dining Journey’ at Karls Erlebnis-Dorf in Elstal demonstrates how the new concept works in practice. The experience combines a specially developed three-course menu with a journey through five themed worlds.
The story is based on a real event – the discovery of the garden strawberry in 1714 – and is transformed into a multisensory experience at Karls. Projections, sets, lighting, sound and movement blend with the cuisine to create a seamless production.
Technology: The FlowDiner
The technological basis of eatX is the FlowDiner, developed by the MACK Group. The battery-powered vehicle is fitted with an on-board electric drive and travels at speeds of up to 0.5 metres per second. The system took two years to develop.
With this new concept, the MACK Group is further expanding its expertise in combining engineering, storytelling, immersive experiences and gastronomy. The FlowDiner builds on the group’s technological developments in the field of immersive dining experiences and applies this approach to a new, family-friendly format in which guests travel together around a shared table.
With eatX and our patented FlowDiner vehicle, we bring together decades of expertise in world-
Thomas Mack, MACK Group
class engineering, gastronomy and storytelling. By merging these disciplines together, we’ve
created an entirely new genre of dining attraction.
“We’re delighted about the collaboration between eatX and Karls Erlebnis-Dorf with Robert Dahl
for the first location of our dark ride dining attraction. Together, we’re creating an experienc
unlike anything that exists today.
The ambition was never to create a restaurant with an experience attached, or an attraction
Robert Dahl, Founder of Karls
with a meal attached. We wanted to make both inseparable – each equally essential. For that
hour, the outside world should disappear and you should even forget that you are in Elstal.
What excites us isn’t just the technology, but what it enables us to do: four people can travel
through a story together, gathered around a single table. Families and friends experience it
together. And that is at the heart of what Karls is all about.
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