At its core, Vollpension is a social enterprise based in Vienna that employs seniors and actively fights against old-age poverty and social isolation. From this emerged a contemporary and eye-opening reinterpretation of the Viennese coffeehouse. We take the essence of tradition – the best pastries, leisure, and humanity – and remix it for the 21st century. In short: it is coffeehouse culture 2.0. As “Granny’s public living room,” we are a living counter-model to museum-like coffeehouse nostalgia. Here, Viennese coffeehouse culture meets social innovation – a place where you don’t just share delicious cake, but real life stories across generations.

To live this social mission every day, we bring the older generation right into the middle of society. The true stars of Vollpension are always our grandmas and grandpas: Half of our team consists of seniors who bake and serve the best pastries using old family recipes for guests from all over the world. This way, they earn a little extra to supplement their often meager pensions and are actively embedded in a warm, social safety net.

That this recipe works perfectly is proven not only by our many (international) guests but also by our TripAdvisor award (as one of the top 10 percent of restaurants worldwide) and global coverage by CNN, BBC, the New York Times, and many more. Behind this vibrant social business – alongside all the people who make it possible every day – are the founders Moriz Piffl-Percevic, Julia Krenmayr, Hannah Lux, David Haller, and Manuel Gruber.

The Viennese coffeehouse has always been a place of reflection and critical thinking. We continue this tradition – but we direct the thoughts towards concrete social issues: old-age poverty, isolation in old age, and the gap between generations. That is why we bring our seniors right into the middle of society, making them protagonists instead of extras in history. Every slice of cake thus becomes a political statement for more intergenerational togetherness and a smaller pension pay gap. It is social criticism with icing, a statement with chocolate glaze, and food for thought with a cherry on top: Because with every visit, our grandmas and grandpas are not only actively embedded in a warm, social net, but can also earn something extra for their often too low pension.

The concept of Vollpension is more relevant today than ever: According to Statistics Austria, 288,000 women and men over the age of 65 were acutely affected by poverty and exclusion in 2023. One in five women over 65 is affected by old-age poverty – and unfortunately, this trend is rising. (Source: Volkshilfe). The gender pay gap is a major issue, especially for women in retirement, as they have on average 39.7 percent less money at their disposal than men, with a gross income of just 1,527 euros. After deducting fixed costs, they are left with only 200 to 300 euros to live on. An additional income of 400 to 500 euros makes a huge difference here.

What started in 2012 as a crazy idea and a pop-up during the Vienna Design Week has long since become an established fixture in the Viennese coffeehouse category. In 2015, we opened our first permanent generation café in Schleifmühlgasse, followed by our second location in Johannesgasse in 2019.

You can also find our story here.

Two young men were sitting in a traditional Viennese coffeehouse and realized that the cake they were served was way too dry. They quickly agreed: cake just tastes best at Grandma’s. From this realization grew the vision not just to preserve coffeehouse culture, but to evolve it in order to solve contemporary social challenges. And so, our retro-futuristic Granny bakery was born. Vollpension is arguably Austria’s best-known social enterprise and far more than just a coffeehouse.

The Vollpension team currently consists of a total of 115 employees, with 50% of the team being over 60 years old. The retired seniors are mainly responsible for baking cakes and looking after guests. The “Team Jungspund” (youngsters), on the other hand, consists of young people who are responsible for service in the café, as well as for communication and administration.

• Generation Café Schleifmühlgasse (1040 Vienna): Our cozy heart right by the Naschmarkt. Here you’ll find fresh pastries daily, lavish breakfast variations (including vegan options), and of course our famous Buchteln.
• Generation Café Johannesgasse (in the MUK, 1010 Vienna): In the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, not far from Kärntner Straße, we serve cakes, Buchteln, and breakfast, as well as a daily changing lunch dish.

Additionally, we have put together some very fine offers for companies: From an event with Grandma to a birthday cake subscription, from a Granny baking class as a team-building event to content production in our in-house studio, we have a colorful portfolio ready.

The Vollpension Backademie (Baking Academy) is the world’s first Grandma baking school. For anyone who wants to learn how to master the essence of the Viennese coffeehouse at home, this is the right place. In our baking courses at the Vollpension Studio on Mariahilfer Straße in Vienna and in high-quality on-demand online courses, our seniors pass on their decades of professional knowledge. From the perfect Buchtel to the classic apple strudel to vegan baking art – here, the older generation shares their expert knowledge with the younger one.

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