By day, a successful investment banker. By night, an animal activist.
Charly Schillinger, an Austrian country boy, worked himself up to the top ranks of a major American bank. Just like everyone, he was wearing a fancy suit. Fancy watches. He blended right in. At least until you got to know him. Then at night he bended bars and laws to free caged animals.
When his father suddenly passed away, his destiny was set by the century long family tradition. He inherited the 200 year old family owned inn. Required to move to where he came from.
Instead of counting dollar notes, he’d now dish up schnitzels, goulash, ‘Tafelspitz.’
When his father suddenly passed away, his destiny was set by the century long family tradition. He inherited the 200 year old family owned inn. Required to move to where he came from.
Instead of counting dollar notes, he’d now dish up schnitzels, goulash, ‘Tafelspitz.’
Equipped with his father’s slaughter knife he stepped into the barn. Of course there was no way he’d ever be able to follow his father’s, grandfather, grand-grandfathers footsteps. Whatever happened, Charly knew, he’d never be able to harm a living thing.
It was a sleepless night. Charly and Irene considered how to get out of this carnivore’s heaven, their hell. The perfect solution seemed perfect. Yet – as you might imagine – also completely bunkers. They’d keep serving the regular dishes. They’d just veganize them all.
First the village laughed. Clearly, a vegetarian was a nutcase. A vegan most definitely didn’t have bats in the belfry.
But the reputation preceded the prejudice. Soon, the inn worth a pilgrimage sought out by the famous, the radicals, the curious. The once sceptical neighbourhood got a taste for meat-free cuisine. In a way they had no choice. They also didn’t need one.
Irene determined to make sure to keep her husband out of jail, she persuades him to think about how to change the system from within. In a flash of genius, Charly realizes it’s smarter to exchange the side cutter for a cooking spoon. He now knows he can draw masses to a countryside inn. But now, he’s determined TO GO BIG.
Not willing to compromise on the quality, the sustainability, the price, they spent years developing mouth-watering recipes that fit even the smaller pockets.
The mission as clear as the hashtag #FoodForFuture they wanted to inspire the world to #swing2vegan and help us make an impact for animal rights. The first restaurant opened in Vienna in January 2015. No one could believe the second one would open in December already. “This is just the vegan beginning at the forefront of something bigger.” said Charly and motivated us to work on a fair and sustainable future. Today Swing Kitchen operates in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Do you want to be a part of our mission to change the world bite by bite.
