Austria’s Aïda to venture overseas this year with stores in Germany and Saudi Arabia

The exterior of an Aïda café in Vienna | Photo credit: Aleks Gusakov

Vienna-based bakery-café chain Aïda is set to kickstart international expansion this year with agreements to launch in Germany and Saudi Arabia. 
 

The 110-year boutique operator, known for its lavish pink decor and Viennese pastries, has partnered with Germany’s Allresto Flughafen München Hotel und Gaststätten GmbH to open a store at Munich Airport in May 2024.  

Aïda has also partnered with global travel concession operator SSP Group to debut in Saudi Arabia with a site at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. The 3,200sq ft outlet will provide seating for 150 customers and also offer an on-the-go menu. 

“I am thrilled to be one step closer to realising my dream of transforming the classic Viennese coffee house concept into a modern quick-service format, allowing us to share Viennese coffee specialties and our incredible cakes with the world,” Executive Director and fourth-generation owner Dominik Prousek told World Coffee Portal.  

Aïda currently operates 29 outlets across Vienna, Graz and Innsbruck. 

Founded in 1913 as a bakery business by Josef Prousek, Aïda was among the first coffee houses in Austria to introduce espresso coffee machines to its stores in 1946 – a move Prousek said marked its shift from a konditorei (pastry shop) to a café.  
 

The boutique brand offers traditional Viennese coffees, including Melange (espresso, steamed milk and milk foam), Einspänner (black coffee and whipped cream) and Kleiner Brauner (a small black coffee similar to an espresso), alongside Italian-inspired beverages, including espresso, cappuccino and macchiato.