The Price is Right: Vienna Sausage Stands Under Pressure
Vera Tondel runs the oldest sausage stand in Vienna, Leo. Operators of Viennese sausage stands, like her, see their businesses increasingly threatened by the aggressive competition of large fast food chains and the cheap offers in supermarkets, as reported by Wien Heute on Tuesday. "Those who advertise on TV, those who advertise in print, do this, do that. And then you stand there as a small sausage stand. And the guest expects the same," explains Tondel.
Hot Counters in Viennese Supermarkets Press the Prices
In particular, the hot counters in supermarkets are putting a lot of pressure on traditional snack stands. Orhan Cakir, operator of a standing buffet in Vienna-Floridsdorf, emphasizes that the high purchase prices for meat and rolls make it difficult to maintain competitive prices. With a liver cheese roll, which on average costs between four and five euros, one is in an acceptable price range, but the number of customers is decreasing. This significantly contributes to the decline of businesses.
Lack of Interest in Sausage Stands Among Young Viennese
According to the industry radar, the number of sausage and snack stands in Vienna has decreased from 439 ten years ago to currently only 279, which corresponds to a decline of 160 stands. This means a decrease of 36 percent in Vienna and 33 percent in all of Austria. Andreas Kreutzer, managing director of the industry radar, expresses the fear that this trend will continue in the future. One factor he mentions is the lack of interest of young people in sausage stands.
To better appeal to the younger target group, the sausage stand Leo has found creative solutions. In addition to innovative products like liver cheese burgers, they also rely on social media presence to promote the tradition of the sausage stand on modern platforms. Despite the challenges, the sausage stand remains a valued social meeting point and a symbol of Viennese culture. For many Viennese, a life without their sausage stand is hardly imaginable.
(Red).
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.