Device for the intermediate storage of stacks of piece goods, which are provided in a clocked manner on a transfer station, integrated in the device, of a plant for the production of food products, in particular chocolate products, the device having - a buffer section comprising one or more storage locations and a delivery location; - a transport device for moving the stacks; and - a manipulator, by means of which the transfer location, the delivery location and the storage locations arranged therebetween can be approached; wherein at least one unit load of a stack, preferably several unit loads of a stack at a time, can be transferred to the delivery location by the manipulator; wherein the stacks of piece goods can be separated at the delivery location and fed to a downstream section of the plant; and wherein the flow of stacks of piece goods provided at the transfer location can be decoupled from the downstream section of the plant by the successive occupation of the storage locations, characterized in that the device further has a treatment section comprising one or more treatment locations, wherein the transfer location follows the treatment locations in the transport direction and wherein the stacks of piece goods can be actively treated at the treatment locations, wherein the transport device is designed as a walking beam conveyor, wherein the conveyor comprises two push bars arranged parallel to each other with carriers, an electric linear drive for moving the push bars in a transport direction and at least one pneumatic drive for a vertical movement of the push bars, wherein the device further comprises a casing enclosing a space controlled with respect to humidity and/or temperature and/or protected from other environmental influences, wherein the buffer section and the treatment section are contained in the space. - a buffer section comprising one or more storage locations and a delivery location; - a transport device for moving the stacks; and - a manipulator, by means of which the transfer location, the delivery location and the storage locations arranged therebetween can be approached; wherein at least one unit load of a stack, preferably several unit loads of a stack at a time, can be transferred to the delivery location by the manipulator; wherein the stacks of piece goods can be separated at the delivery location and fed to a downstream section of the plant; and wherein the flow of stacks of piece goods provided at the transfer location can be decoupled from the downstream section of the plant by the successive occupation of the storage locations, characterized in that the device further has a treatment section comprising one or more treatment locations, wherein the transfer location follows the treatment locations in the transport direction and wherein the stacks of piece goods can be actively treated at the treatment locations, wherein the transport device is designed as a walking beam conveyor, wherein the conveyor comprises two push bars arranged parallel to each other with carriers, an electric linear drive for moving the push bars in a transport direction and at least one pneumatic drive for a vertical movement of the push bars, wherein the device further comprises a casing enclosing a space controlled with respect to humidity and/or temperature and/or protected from other environmental influences, wherein the buffer section and the treatment section are contained in the space.