Donhauser snatches DO&CO airport lounges in Vienna
The local gastronomy group DoN is contesting another business with the catering company DO&CO. Josef Donhauser’s company will in future serve the exclusive passenger lounges at Vienna Airport, the companies announced on Tuesday. In 2018 Donhauser took over on-board catering in the ÖBB long-distance trains from the previous operator Henry am Zug from DO&CO with its DoN brand. Last year the busy gastro entrepreneur bought Vapiano Austria.
Starting today, March 16, DoN will provide catering for the Vienna Airport Lounges “Sky”, “Jet” and “Air”, although only the Sky Lounge is currently open due to corona. DO&CO was previously responsible for this. The catering of the AUA lounge in Terminal 3 went to DoN last year. This lounge is also open. For the catering in the AUA planes, however, DO&CO remains responsible. The airline extended the catering contract to 2027 just a few days ago.
DO&CO will not disappear at Vienna Airport despite the loss of the lounges. The company, in which board member Attila Dogudan holds around a third, uses around 1,300 m2 of catering space at the airport with different concepts such as Henry, Demel or the Big Daddy burger bar.
Due to the low number of passengers at Vienna Airport due to the pandemic, passenger handling is currently carried out centrally in Terminal 3. “As soon as the number of passengers allows it, the other terminal areas will also be reactivated,” said airport board member Julian Jäger according to a broadcast.
The Donhauser Group, of which Donhauser is the sole owner, had around 1,800 employees before the pandemic. Last year, in the middle of the first lockdown, the entrepreneur took over the insolvent pizza and pasta chain Vapiano in Austria.
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