Franciszek Trześniewski
Polish gourmand and cook, founder of a Viennese chain of open sandwiches
Biography
Franciszek Trześniewski was a Polish gourmand and cook who was active in the early decades of the twentieth century. He was born in Kraków, then part of Western Galicia within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. He is best remembered for the bar he opened in Vienna in 1902, shortly before the First World War, which over the years became something of a Viennese institution.
His house speciality was the open sandwich, made with fresh dark bread from local bakers, cut into the typical rectangles and topped with a variety of spreads. Sources differ on the year of his death, giving both 1939 and 1949, so that date should be treated with some caution.
After his death the business passed to his daughter, Maria Trześniewska, who sold it in 1978. The name has since spread across the Austrian capital. The branch at Dorotheergasse 1 is now regarded as one of the best in the city centre and is one of only three central restaurants listed on the official municipal website. In total there are eight outlets in Vienna.
Key contributions
- The open sandwich on dark Viennese-style bread, cut into rectangles and topped with varied spreads, as the house signature.
- The Vienna bar of 1902, which turned the quick sandwich counter into a long-running bar-restaurant.
- A menu of more than twenty sandwich types, traditionally served with a small glass of beer or a vodka.