Vollpension

Vollpension is a coffee house in Vienna, Austria. It is best known for employing the elderly as bakers and servers, thus supplementing the low income of retirees and providing opportunities for socialization. It is considered a particularly successful example of a social business.

History

Vollpension was set up as a pop-up café in 2012 by a group of young people who wished to serve cakes such as those made by grandmothers. It was meant to be a temporary project at the Vienna Design Week, but the Austrian Tourist Association became aware of it and sent the baking seniors across the country for three months.[1] Ten "grandmothers" thus toured Austria to serve at festivals, beer parties, and fairs. In 2015 a permanent location was chosen, at Schleifmühlgasse 16, near Vienna's historic outdoor market Naschmarkt, to ensure that the business would become stable.

According to Hannah Lux, one of the owners, Vollpension served over 80,000 cakes in 2018 and had a revenue of 1.2 million euros. In September 2019 Vollpension opened another branch at Johannesgasse 4a.[1] Due to this extension, and the purposeful employment primarily of older people, Vollpension was hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic when it reached Austria in March 2020.[1] That year Vollpension launched the "world's first Grandma Baking School", an online platform called BakAdemy, which offers on-demand live baking courses from elders across the world, including India, New Zealand, the United States and Australia.[2]

Brand and aesthetic

The name Vollpension, meaning "full pension", refers to both the retirement pension and to a hotel stay that includes meals, or full board.

Vollpension's aesthetic features worn furniture, small vases, doilies, and animal figurines and is meant to give the visitor a feeling of a warm family room. The café is frequented by multigenerational groups and often young mothers with children.

The main focus of Vollpension are cakes, which are sold by slice. Beverages and other food are also available, including the Viennese goulash and lentil stew.[1] All food is prepared by the "grandmas" and "grandpas" according to their own family recipes.[1] The menu is thus variable, with the options offered depending on which "grandmas" and "grandpas" are on baking duty that day. Servings come in two sizes, with vegan and vegetarian alternatives also available.[2]

Social business

Vollpension is considered a highly successful example of social entrepreneurship: it provides additional income for older people in a commercially sustainable way, as well as enabling cross-generational interaction for its older staff, who may otherwise experience poverty and social isolation or loneliness.[2] In 2020 Vollpension employed a total of 80 people, of 21 nationalities, aged 18 to 84.[1] "Grandmas" and a few "grandpas" (Opas) form a large part of the staff and are the only staff involved in baking. Most work part-time. The "grandmas" and the "grandpas" bake, serve, and chat to the clientele.

Vollpension hosts diverse public activities each month, from knitting to poker, to allow the older staff to share their skills and knowledge amongst each other and with younger people.[3]

Locations

Vollpension opened its first permanent location in Schleifmühlgasse in 2015[3] and a second location in 2019 in Johannesgasse, situated within the MUK (Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna)[1]

External links

• Official website