Two owners & one tradition

Since 1950, two families from the Tomaselli dynasty have run the café. Today, the company belongs equally to two direct descendants of Carl Tomaselli: emeritus Salzburg lawyer and qualified forest manager Dipl. Ing. Dr Christoph Aigner, and visceral and thoracic surgeon Univ. Doz. Dr Florian Tomaselli. So how come two families are in charge of the company? In1950, Olga Tomaselli (whose husband Otto had died in 1925) was given back the Café after its expropriation by American occupying forces, and passed the company on to her children

Dipl.-Kfm. Karl Tomaselli and Elisabeth, known as Lisl. Since that time there have always been two partners in the Tomaselli business: they belong together like the coffee and milk foam in a good “melange” (a speciality coffee similar to a cappuccino). The siblings ran the Café together until 1991. Karl was responsible for the commercial side, while Elisabeth, under her married name of Aigner, looked after the day-to-day running of the business and its guests.

In 1991, Elisabeth Aigner's son, Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Christoph Aigner, and Karl Tomaselli's son, Dipl.-Vw. Karl-Heinz Tomaselli, took over the shares and management of the business. Karl-Heinz Tomaselli's wife, Doris Tomaselli, was an authorized signatory and dedicated herself to the affairs of the establishment for many years. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Christoph Aigner was a defining figure in the company for decades, a co-owner, and the fourth-generation family representative. He guided the business with great responsibility and foresight. In 2011, he handed over the management to his wife, Elisabeth Aigner, who has since played a central role within the family dynasty. She is a regular presence at the café, ensuring everything is running smoothly and maintaining personal contact with the many regular customers, including numerous respected Salzburg families. In September 2011, Karl-Heinz Tomaselli handed over his shares and management of the business to his son, Associate Professor Dr. Florian Tomaselli.

Dr. Florian is now the fifth generation to run the café in his family, combining this responsibility with his primary medical career. His passion for medicine developed early: he specializes in thoracic surgery and heads the thoracic surgery department at the Kepler University Hospital in Linz and the Wels Hospital. With great personal commitment, he also dedicates himself to the café in Salzburg and sees it as an important task to responsibly guide this traditional establishment into the future together with the Aigner family.

In May 2026, Elisabeth Aigner, a member of the owning family, will retire. To ensure the long-term future of this traditional café, the owners initiated a structured succession planning process early on. The goal was to find a partner who would respect the values, history, and high standards of the establishment while also enabling its careful development. GMS GOURMET GmbH, an experienced and reliable catering partner, will take over the operation of Café Tomaselli.

The café will continue to operate as a classic, traditional coffee house in keeping with the family's vision and will be further developed with great respect for its history.

The name, character, and familiar offerings will remain unchanged: Guests can continue to enjoy fine cakes and pastries, classic snacks, and a diverse selection of coffee specialties. Quality, reliability, sustainability, and respect for established traditions will always be paramount.