Cafe Tomaselli

What Cafe Tomaselli does

Cafe Tomaselli is a single-location traditional Austrian coffee house operating at Alter Markt 9 in the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Salzburg, Austria. Founded in 1700 and recognized as Austria's oldest coffee house, the business has been owned by the Tomaselli family since 1852, with current ownership shared between the Aigner and Tomaselli branches of the dynasty. The product surface centers on classic Viennese coffee house culture: coffee specialties prepared by the Karlsbad method using an exclusive Julius Meinl Arabica blend (Tomaselli Melange, Einspänner, Häferlkaffee, plus liqueur coffees such as Tomaselliums and Biedermeier Kaffee), an on-site Backstube producing over 20 varieties of handmade cakes and signature pastries (Sachertorte, Tomasellitorte, Haustorte), traditional breakfast from 7 AM, and classic Viennese snacks. Physical capacity spans the main coffee house with Stüberl, terrace, and first-floor veranda, plus a seasonal Kiosk built in 1860 opposite the main building that operates May–September, with an elevated wine, champagne, Crémant, and caviar program during the Salzburg Festival (17 July to 30 August) in partnership with Kate & Kon.

The business model is a hybrid of walk-in food and beverage sales at the physical site, seasonal event venue hire during the off-season, and a small online voucher/webshop channel operated under the GMS GOURMET GmbH privacy and ecommerce stack. Distribution is entirely single-address, with the customer base split across local Salzburg regulars, domestic and international tourists, and Salzburg Festival attendees. Marketing is largely heritage- and location-driven, with the website (tomaselli.at), GMS GOURMET corporate careers portal, and word-of-mouth as the principal channels.

From May 2026, GMS GOURMET GmbH (a subsidiary of Gourmet Beteiligungs GmbH, headquartered in Vienna) assumed operational management of the café under a structured succession process triggered by the retirement of co-owner Elisabeth Aigner; ownership of the historic property and brand remains with the two family branches. The 5-employee baseline, single-building footprint, and the explicit commitment to preserve "name, character, and familiar offerings" indicate that the transaction is a continuity and professionalization move rather than a scaling event.

Name

Cafe Tomaselli

Legal name

GMS GOURMET GmbH

Website

https://tomaselli.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1700

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cafe Tomaselli is Austria's oldest coffee house, founded in 1700 and located at Alter Markt in Salzburg's UNESCO Old Town. It serves traditional Viennese coffee specialties, in-house pastries, and breakfast to local regulars, tourists, and Salzburg Festival visitors from a single café plus a seasonal Kiosk, now operated by GMS GOURMET GmbH.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Traditional Coffee House / Austrian Café

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Retail Bakeries (311811)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFADAG

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Cafes & Coffee Shops

Keywords

• Traditional coffee house
• Austrian pastries
• In-house bakery
• Coffee house culture
• Viennese coffee specialties

Headquarters

HQ city

Salzburg

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from the sale of coffee beverages, breakfast items, pastries, cakes, desserts, and light meals served in the café, Stüberl, terrace, veranda, and Kiosk.
2. Event Venue Rental: During low season, Cafe Tomaselli is available as an event location for weddings, birthday parties, christenings, anniversaries, and company celebrations.
3. Voucher Sales: Sale of gift vouchers/gift cards through an online shop.
4. Online Shop Sales: Webshop sales of products including vouchers, with order processing, payment handling, and shipping.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cafe Tomaselli operates Austria's oldest coffee house (since 1700) at Alter Markt in Salzburg's Old Town, serving traditional Austrian coffee specialties prepared with an exclusive Julius Meinl coffee blend using the Karlsbad method, alongside an in-house bakery producing over 20 varieties of handmade cakes and pastries. The establishment also provides traditional Viennese-style breakfast, classic coffee house snacks, seasonal outdoor service at the historic Kiosk, and private event venue hire for celebrations during the off-season.

Product overview

Café Tomaselli operates as a single historic coffee house establishment in Salzburg, Austria, founded in 1700 and Austria's oldest coffee house. The company offers a unified hospitality product combining: the main coffee house (Kaffeehaus) with multiple dining areas including the historic interior, Stüberl, terrace, and veranda; an outdoor kiosk (Kiosk Tomaselli) for summer service; and a full in-house bakery. The product portfolio centers on Austrian coffee house specialties (signature Melange, Einspänner, Häferlkaffee, and liqueur coffees like Tomaselliums and Biedermeier Kaffee), over 20 varieties of house-made pastries and cakes (including the signature Tomasellitorte and Haustorte), traditional breakfast and classic Viennese snacks. The venue also offers event hire services for private celebrations. GMS GOURMET GmbH assumed operational management in May 2026, with ownership remaining with the Tomaselli dynasty families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cafe Tomaselli Main Coffee House (Kaffeehaus) The flagship traditional Austrian coffee house located at Alter Markt 9 in Salzburg's Old Town, serving coffee specialties, traditional Viennese-style breakfast, pastries, and classic coffee house snacks in a historic setting with multiple indoor rooms, a terrace, a veranda, and a Stüberl. Open to walk-in customers daily from 7:00 AM (8:00 AM on weekends and holidays) to 7:00 PM.
• Kiosk Tomaselli Seasonal outdoor coffee pavilion opposite the main café, offering coffee, cakes, desserts, and homemade ice cream under chestnut trees. Operates from May to September, with extended hours and an exclusive selection of wines, champagne, Crémant, and caviar (via Kate & Kon) during the Salzburg Festival from 17 July to 30 August.
• In-House Bakery (Backstube) On-site confectionery producing over 20 varieties of handmade cakes and pastries daily, including signature creations Tomasellitorte and Haustorte, plus Sachertorte, Linzer Torte, Black Forest gateau, Esterhazy cake, Dobostorte, and seasonal specialties. All dough, fillings, and icings are made in-house using quality ingredients.
• Event Location / Private Hire The café and its various spaces are available for exclusive private hire during the low season for weddings, birthday parties, christenings, anniversaries, and corporate celebrations, providing a historic Austrian coffee house setting for private events.
• Online Gift Voucher Shop Webshop operated under GMS GOURMET GmbH enabling customers to purchase gift vouchers for Cafe Tomaselli, with order processing, payment handling, and shipping.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GMS GOURMET GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026GMS GOURMET GmbH, a subsidiary of Gourmet Beteiligungs GmbH (100%), acquired the operational management of Café Tomaselli starting May 2026. The café will continue as a classic traditional coffee house with the name, character, and familiar offerings preserved. The Tomaselli families (Aigner and Tomaselli dynasties) retain ownership while GMS GOURMET handles day-to-day operations. The acquisition ensures long-term succession as Elisabeth Aigner retires in May 2026.
• Julius MeinlcoreTechnology or IntegrationViennese roast master Julius Meinl produces an exclusive coffee blend for Café Tomaselli. The special blend uses carefully selected Arabica beans from Central America, South America, and India, roasted to guarantee the inimitable 'Tomaselli flavour'. Coffee is freshly ground and brewed according to the traditional Karlsbad method.
• Kate & KonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFine wine partner offering an exclusive selection of wines, champagne, Crémant, and caviar at the Kiosk Tomaselli during the Salzburg Festival season (17 July to 30 August).
• Vivatis GroupminorOthersThe Vivatis Group application management tool is referenced in the privacy policy for job applicants. Candidates may be redirected to the Vivatis Group's applicant management system when applying for positions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Café Hawelka: Famous traditional Viennese coffee house operating since 1936 in Vienna's 1st district. Directly comparable to Café Tomaselli as a heritage Austrian coffee house with similar sit-down service, in-house pastry offerings, and cultural cachet among tourists and locals.
• Café Central: Iconic Viennese coffee house founded in 1876, now reopened in Palais Ferstel. Directly comparable to Café Tomaselli as a premium heritage Austrian coffee house serving traditional Viennese coffee specialties with full table service and in-house pastry production.
• Café Landtmann: Historic Viennese coffee house opposite the Burgtheater, operating since 1873. Directly comparable to Café Tomaselli as a traditional Austrian coffee house with full-service dining and cultural prominence among political and literary elites.
• Café Sacher: Famous Viennese coffee house attached to Hotel Sacher, renowned for Sachertorte. Directly comparable to Café Tomaselli as a heritage Austrian coffee house with strong in-house confectionery, premium tourist positioning, and cultural prestige tied to Austrian culinary tradition.
• Café Museum: Traditional Viennese coffee house near the Kunsthistorisches Museum, operating since 1899. Directly comparable to Café Tomaselli as a heritage Austrian coffee house with classic coffee house atmosphere and traditional offerings serving both locals and tourists.
• Café Demel: Vienna's most famous chocolatier and traditional coffee house, founded 1786. Directly comparable to Café Tomaselli as a heritage Austrian coffee house with in-house pastry production and signature cake specialties (Demel Sachertorte).
• Café Schwarzenberg: Historic Viennese coffee house on the Ringstraße, operating since 1861. Directly comparable to Café Tomaselli as a long-running traditional Austrian coffee house with classical atmosphere and continuous operation across multiple generations.
• Café Prückel: Traditional Viennese coffee house located in the Stadtpark since 1923. Directly comparable to Café Tomaselli as a classic Austrian coffee house offering traditional coffee specialties, pastries, and full table service in a heritage setting.

Emerging players

• Joseph Brot: Modern Viennese bakery-cafe hybrid combining artisanal bread, pastries, and coffee in contemporary settings. Comparable to Café Tomaselli as a cafe-bakery concept with in-house baked goods, but with a younger, more contemporary positioning appealing to next-generation customers.

Broad incumbents

• Aida: Austrian cafe chain with multiple locations across Austria, founded 1913. Comparable to Café Tomaselli as an Austrian coffee-and-pastry operator, though with mass-market positioning and broader geographic footprint rather than heritage single-location focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cafe-tomaselli

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cafe Tomaselli