Vollpension
Vollpension is a Viennese social enterprise that closes the gap between generations by employing seniors to bake in its Generationencafes, helping older people stay an active and valued part of society. From a one-week pop-up in 2012 it grew into two cafes, a digital baking academy, and a partnership with Business Models Inc. to prepare for scale.
The challenge
What started as a pop-up cafe serving grandma-style cakes quickly revealed a bigger social-political challenge: many seniors are lonely and need extra income to supplement small pensions. The team needed to turn a beloved concept into a well-functioning, scalable social business, including surviving the pandemic when its cafes had to close.
Our approach
The founders validated the concept through pop-ups before opening the first Generationencafe in 2015 and a second in 2019. During the pandemic they launched the Vollpension BakAdemy, a digital platform with on-demand and live baking courses taught by grandmas, alongside a successful crowdfunding campaign. Together with Business Models Inc. they are now working on the next steps and concrete projects to scale.
The results
- Two well-functioning Generationencafes in Vienna, with 50% of the team older than 60.
- Over 100 elderly people helped to connect with the younger generation, and more than 350 seniors applying for jobs within days.
- BakAdemy courses attended by more than 500 participants across over 150 course dates, including companies and private groups.
The method stayed with the team. It always does.
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