A full pension: Vollpension is filled with comfy second-hand furniture and kitschy decorations. Cakes bake all day long in the four neon-rimmed ovens (the only modern touch) behind the counter. The café’s name refers to the full pension that retirees receive and to a hotel stay that includes meals.
Engaging Activities
Game nights and other fun: These activities allow the older staff to “share their knowledge and skills” with each other and with younger people, said Hannah Lux, the café’s 31-year-old managing partner and one of its three owners. The café aims to provide social interaction and income to the staffers, who might otherwise feel isolated.
A Growing Menu
Get in line: Although “Kaffee und Kuchen,” for which Vienna is renowned, is the focus of Vollpension, it has expanded to a full menu that includes many breakfast items and limited lunch or dinner choices. It has become so popular that weekends require reservations and lines to get in sometimes form.
Cakes with a Story
More than a slice: Cake, which is ordered at the counter and then brought to the table, sometimes comes with a history of the recipe and possibly also of the baker.
A Second Location
A second café: A wide variety of items are available for breakfast, served until 2 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on weekends. The café is at Schleifmühlgasse 16, near a hostel and an outdoor market. A second location, even more centrally located, is scheduled to open in October.
Community Spirit
Omas watching over us: The café, popular with a younger crowd, features a framed jigsaw puzzle and the stern portrait of managing partner Hannah Lux’s great-grandmother, in an oval frame.
Celebrating Individuality
Bakers have their specialties: Judith Siöberg, one of 23 senior-aged part-time employees, has worked at the café since it opened in 2015. “It’s a crazy house. It’s a lot of fun,” said Siöberg, whose specialty is “American cheesecake.”
Vollpension’s Unique Offerings
So many slices: Bakers make their own favorite recipes, including strudels, chocolate tortes, Bundt cakes, and poppy seed cakes. Schlag (whipped cream), a Viennese favorite, can be ordered with any of them. Last year, more than 80,000 slices were sold.
Creating a Vibrant Community
Creating community: The grandmas and grandpas may choose their own workdays and hours, and friendships are encouraged. It’s part of the community feeling the café wants to foster.
