Gragger is finally bankruptcy – Diepresse.com

There is this story of Helmut Gragger, who shows very impressively how much passion he was pursuing his course: When he once traveled to Turin to the Slowfood fair, he had his own mobile wood furnace in his luggage. But that’s not all: the oven was already hot. And Gragger kept standing on the way from Upper Austria to add wood.

Biobol from the wood oven: That was the idea that the tombsters wanted to revive with Verve. After several years in economic turbulence, it is now clear: the oven is over. The company is finally broke. It is around 900,000 euros. On Thursday, Gragger announced the bad news to his 35 employees. « We even paid for the renovation for the most part and still had investor talks that have now burst, » says the baker in an interview with the « press ». « But it doesn’t go out. »

Shops in Vienna and Berlin

In 1997, Gragger in Ansfelden near Linz had become self -employed, in 2010 he moved to Vienna, where he opened his first shop in Spiegelgasse in the first district – with a bakery and specially designed wood stove. Gragger was one of the pioneers of the Brotrenaissance in the capital, followed by other branches in Vienna-among others at the Vorgartenmarkt, Siebenstergasse and (initially together with the ex-green politician Christoph Chorherr) in the northern railway district-and in cooperation with Sarah Wiener even in Berlin.

Corona started the economic difficulties, the flagship store in the first lost frequency, gragger tried pop-up stores. In mid -2022, the city got in with its “pride in Vienna” program, but at the end of 2022 the company slipped into bankruptcy, followed by a renovation plan. The production site of Ansfelden was locked, gragger concentrated on Vienna, started a cooperation with the anchor bakery chain, recently developed a strategy for major customers. « But we didn’t make it anymore. »

« I made mistakes »

« Of course I made mistakes, that’s undisputed, » says Gragger in an interview with the « press ». The fact that it ultimately has come so far that he has to lock up, he attributes a sum of things: among other things, the greatly increased wage costs that a craftsmanship bakery like gragger, which did not bake centrally like most of the other, but in several branches and baked room and wood furnace. And: « We were never good at presenting ourselves to make marketing. » Other new bakers were much better.

It probably didn’t make things easier that the possibilities of buying good bread in Vienna have exploded in recent years. Even if Gragger emphasizes: « The competition is actually great because you can see that you basically have greater attention to bread. » It was more difficult with trends: the tendency had recently gone to bright, airy sourdough breads. « We didn’t have that in this form. Our things have a bit of a different character. » The brands of Gragger was his Mühlviertler Laib: a dense, pure rye bread. Many fans also had his buttered salt interior.

Microba makers in Africa

What gragger particularly hurts: « We have always tried to be a value -oriented company. » In cooperation with Caritas, he ceased apprentices that nobody else wanted to train, built up microba makers in numerous African countries and in the Balkans from 2015. The whole area of ​​social engagement is now also eliminated. « It’s not good. Because just a lot breaks together with it. »

The Berlin shops that are operated in cooperation are preserved. According to the boss, the Gragger branches in Vienna will be open until the end of the month. « After that everything is closed. »