They have tried multiple times to apply for a Small Business Association loan through the COVID-19 relief program but have yet to receive any money. Both a cultural and culinary institution, our traditional coffee house has been tempting locals and travellers alike since 1786. What the owners hope for most of all is government relief. Welcome to Demel - home of the finest cakes, chocolates and sweets in the heart of Vienna. Negotiations with the landlord have yielded no compromise so far. Prior to the pandemic their landlord had discussed raising the rent by $5000 to cover upgrades to the building, and despite the subsequent and ongoing economic turmoil he wishes to proceed with the price increase, according to Khadavi.Īs the bakery is already behind its current rent, owners say there is no way they can pay an increased rent. It’s really nice to see that kind of support we appreciate it so much and that’s giving us the energy to keep trying.”įamily friends of the bakery have organized a GoFundMe to try to raise $50,000 to cover the store’s back rent. “Some people are actually panicking ‘oh where am I going to buy my cakes for my son’s birthday’. When they found out that there is a possibility we will close some of them cried,” said Khadavi. They are also doubling down on their social media outreach and appealing to their loyal customer base. They plan on expanding their offerings to include vegan pastries and more healthy treats to try and attract new shoppers. It was founded by Andre Drucker in 1964, for the purpose of introducing the. But, the family isn’t ready to give up yet.įacing what they know may be a losing battle, the bakery team is keeping the store’s doors open for now. Druckers Vienna Patisserie is a chain of ptisseries in the United Kingdom. We take pride in our preservative-free pastries. The precipitous drop in demand coupled with the landlord’s desire to raise rent has made continuing operations untenable. Our authentically European bakery, nestled in a beautiful garden setting, is located in the heart of town. I think we have to close it soon, because we owe a lot of money.” “With the same expenses and so much less business we can’t survive. “People still come in person but they buy a much smaller amount instead of buying for bigger events,” said Khadavi. With no banquets, weddings, or parties to cater to and all hotels canceling their pastry orders, the bakery is only running at 40 percent of its usual business, according to owner Fred Khadavi. The bakery has been a staple in Santa Monica since 1957 and was taken over by the Khadavi family in 1988, after they came to America as refugees fleeing the Islamic Revolution in Iran.įor 65 years the store has remained as resilient as its owners, operating as a true mom-and-pop with three sisters running the baking and multiple generations lending a hand at the shop.Īt the beginning of 2020 business was still flourishing, but the pandemic put everything at risk. Opened by Helmut and Karin Gragger in 1997 at an old mill in Ansfelden near Linz the story of Gragger & Cie is one of rethinking modern practices, Helmut having given up a job in commercial baking to pursue a more natural course focused on organic raw materials mixed by hand and cooked in a wood-burning oven.Įventually relocated to Vienna, Helmut’s hand-built oven transported to Spiegelgasse 23 where it still burns daily, entering Gragger & Cie rouses memories of days past with loaves lining racks and several Pastries filling the cases up front.Īlso championing socially disadvantaged persons with training across four storefronts, the service amongst Vienna’s most friendly, a tasting of Gragger’s goods began with a Cheese-filled Viennoiserie featuring light sweetness before moving on to crispy Zauner Klipferl with Almonds and Breadcrumbs.Īlso featuring Almonds in a toothsome Cake, lightly sweetened and perfect with Coffee, Gragger & Cie’s Poppyseed Semolina Cake comes individually portioned and profoundly nuanced while the Nussbeugerl resembles Hungarian Kifles from the Butter-enriched Dough to the ground Walnut filling.As the pandemic wears on, so does the strain on local businesses and the owners of the Vienna Pastry fear their business will not make it to the finish line.
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