Demel
Demel is a historic confectioner and coffeehouse in central Vienna, founded in 1786 and closely tied to the Habsburg court. Its Kohlmarkt location remains one of the reference points of Viennese pastry.
History
The business began on Michaelerplatz under Ludwig Dehne, a confectioner from Württemberg. After his early death in 1799, his widow ran the shop on behalf of their young son, August Dehne, who managed it successfully from 1832. In 1857 it passed to Christoph Demel, a former journeyman, and in 1867 it was renamed Ch. Demel's Söhne when his sons took over. In 1874 it received the title of purveyor to the imperial court.
Around 1888, when the old Burgtheater was demolished and the square was remodelled, the shop moved around the corner to Kohlmarkt, where it remains in its original building. During the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Empress Elisabeth, Princess Pauline von Metternich and actress Katharina Schratt were among its customers. After several changes of ownership, it was taken over by the restaurant and catering company Do & Co in 2002. Its branches in New York and Salzburg have since closed.
Culture
The waitresses, in white aprons and with a formal third-person way of addressing guests, are part of the house's image, and the cabaret artist Helmut Qualtinger wrote a song about them. The neo-baroque interior and the museum on the site, devoted to the history of the former imperial chocolate bakery, make it a regular stop for visitors to Vienna. It remains a key place to enjoy coffee with traditional pastries.