Koralmbahn brings more customers to Klagenfurt station restaurants

Restaurants and cafés at Klagenfurt’s main railway station are reporting stronger business since the Koralmbahn train connection began operating more than eight months ago, ORF reported. Many visitors from Styria, including Graz, are travelling to Carinthia for day trips, while travellers from Carinthia are also heading to Graz.

Toni Dauti, who has operated the restaurant in the station building for almost two years after it had been closed for several years, said business had been particularly strong this summer. He attributed a 30 percent increase in turnover to the new rail connection.

Dauti said his restaurant had received many bookings from Styria, particularly Graz, including groups of up to 25 or 30 people. He said the higher turnover was directly attributable to guests from Styria, although travellers from across Austria also visit restaurants around the station.

Sandra Bozic recently opened a café opposite the station and has been trying to establish the business with her husband for about a month. She said almost all of her customers came from Styria.

“They look at Lake Wörthersee, go to the Lindwurm, come in the morning, have a coffee and go sightseeing for a while. Then they come back because they liked it so much, and of course they tell us where they have been,” Bozic said.

She serves up to 40 guests from Styria on a good day. Business depends heavily on the weather because most of the café’s tables are outside, she said.