“Everybody has to come to the Vollpension once in his life” claims David Haller, co-manager of this intergenerational coffeehouse in Vienna. Indeed, there is nothing compared to a freshly baked cake made by a granny and savoured in a 60-70’s atmosphere.
At the Vollpension, pensioners prepare meals and desserts served by young people. It is a place where generations meet, share stories and life experiences. Through events such as storytelling evening and knitting workshop, the coffeehouse creates an attention towards intergenerational topics. “Giving older people the chance to earn some money next to their pensions is also a social impact we are proud of”, says David Haller.
Today, around 25 people work at the Vollpension, including 15 grannies and grandpas, from Tuesday to Sunday. The recruitment process is easy. The grannies come either by word of mouth or after a visit. The only criteria to be part of the team: being at least 55 years old, loving the contact with young people and, of course, having certain baking skills.
Vollpension coffeehouse visitors are not the only ones to savour the grannies’recipes. Every Wednesday, a Vollpension granny is cooking at Impact Hub Vienna.“The Hubbers love our grannies, like everybody else”, concludes David Haller. And he is absolutely right: we got the chance to interview one of the grannies. Click the video below to watch our lovely chat with granny Zora.
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