Vienna, Austria – The iconic Tichy ice cream parlor on Reumannplatz in Vienna’s Favoriten district will reopen for the 2026 season on Friday, March 13th, marking the start of its 71st year in operation. Third-generation owner Xenia Tichy is overseeing final preparations, including the launch of a new website and online shop.
The reopening comes after a period of heightened attention on Reumannplatz, which has faced scrutiny over public safety. However, Tichy emphasized that the ice cream parlor itself has never experienced any incidents. “We’ve had enough now, we don’t want our name to always be associated with crime,” Kurt Tichy, Xenia’s father, stated in July 2024, according to reporting by Krone.at. Xenia Tichy echoed this sentiment, noting that while the business had felt the economic impact of negative publicity in previous years, the location remains secure for customers.
“We receive calls from regular customers asking whether We see still safe to come to us,” Xenia Tichy said, adding that the business has not considered relocating. “Reumannplatz is better than its reputation,” she asserted, pointing to an increased police presence in the area.
The Tichy family has been a fixture on Reumannplatz since 1955. The parlor is renowned for its homemade ice cream, with production beginning at 6:00 AM daily to ensure freshness. A long-standing tradition is the unveiling of a new ice cream flavor on May 1st each year, a detail Tichy remained tight-lipped about. “What comes, I will not reveal,” she said, explaining that the final touches are still being applied to the new recipe. The parlor often revisits older, less successful flavors, refining them for a modern palate, as demonstrated by the popularization of Topfenknödel, first introduced by her grandfather.
This year’s preparations include a significant investment in the parlor’s online presence. While a previous attempt at launching a website and webshop encountered difficulties, Tichy is confident that the system will be fully functional for the 2026 season. The business employs 70 people and operates seven days a week, from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
Despite the demands of running the business, Tichy has no immediate plans to expand to other locations. “I want to ensure it doesn’t become impersonal,” she explained. “That’s an important part of Tichy and it would lose its charm.” As the season approaches, Tichy anticipates a rigorous quality control process, personally tasting each flavor to maintain the parlor’s high standards. She admits a particular fondness for fruity varieties, often pairing them with salty snacks like Soletti.
