My 60th birthday

It feels like yesterday that I was born, yet I came into this world in 1956, built by the timber merchant Hans Tipotsch and his wife Aloisia. As you can imagine, I have witnessed quite a lot in the past decades. I was able to host guests with exciting lives and stories to tell and was witness to some lively events. Under my roof, people worked, loved, got married, laughed and mourned. I sponsored several rounds of drinks on the boss’s behalf over the years. I have listened to funny anecdotes and heated political discussions but just like any true gentleman I keep them to myself. But don’t let yourselves be fooled – all the stories from the past live on in my walls and in the hearts of my owners and guests; they are part of my DNA and after all that is what makes me so special.

There was a lot of excitement in the air when the Kinocafé, Stumm’s first café, opened its doors. I can still feel Aloisia’s excitement. In hindsight, there was no reason for her to feel nervous – after all, the Kinocafé rapidly turned into the place to be. Mmmmmhhhh! I can still smell the aroma that wafted through the air when Loisi prepared her famous roasted chicken. It was so famous that it brought people from near and far – they even came all the way from Innsbruck, which back in the day, without social media and the likes, was not to be taken for granted. We had our own juke box to provide the soundtrack to many a long night spent dancing, talking and playing cards. Loisi’s daughter Waltraud was behind the bar and served up classics such as Gin Fizz and the more potent Kaiserbirn schnapps. My floors were regularly rather sticky after all the drinks that were spilled on the dancefloor. I don’t mean to complain – the ladies of the house made sure I was clean again in no time. They were all such busy bees. Even little Heinz, who is my owner now, and his cousin Hans helped washing dishes, since we did not yet have any modern dishwashers.  A cup of coffee cost 2,80 Schillings and it was served with home-made pastries. I fondly remember the nut cake, the ch cake and the Linzer cake. Once, one of my windows burst when they were shooting too close to the house during a church procession – and would you believe it, the shards all ended up on the freshly baked cakes! Suffice it to say that the guests that came to the Kinocafé after the procession were somewhat disappointed when they had to leave again without having had a piece of cake.

I started out with five guest rooms with running water and a breakfast consisting of two bread rolls, some butter and jam. When I look at my modern rooms furnished with the finest Swiss pine today and then take another look at the extensive breakfast buffet or the dinner menus and themed evenings, it is hard to comprehend how much I have evolved. I am proud to say that I am still fit and full of life at the age of 60. But I have to be honest, my boss Heinz and his family and team look after me well. They decorate and renovate me on a regular basis. Old and new live in harmony under my roof, and these days I like to flaunt my modern Tyrolean style. All my rooms were renovated in 2015 and were equipped with the finest Swiss pine and antique spruce in the process. The Kinocafé was turned into the Restaurant Tiatta and the Café-Bistro Kimm, which is a popular meeting place for locals and guests alike. We still serve home-made pastries and hearty meals like Schnitzel or a variety of tasty pizzas.  

I am already looking forward to the next 60 years and am curious about all the things that are to come.