Franciszek Trześniewski

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Franciszek Trześniewski (pronounced [tʃɛɕ'ɲiɛvski], died 1939) was an early 20th century Polish gourmand and cook. Born in Kraków, he is notable for the restaurant-bar he opened in Vienna in 1902, shortly before World War I. His specialite de la maison were sandwiches made of fresh, local dark bread and egg paste with various other ingredients. Although the snack was popular in Poland at least a century earlier and the recipe for the egg paste is part of the Polish cuisine, it is called a Viennese sandwich by the locals. The snack became so popular throughout the former Austria-Hungary that his name remains associated with all sandwiches in much of the Central Europe. After his death the bar was run by his daughter, Maria Trześniewska, who sold it in 1978.

Nowadays the Trześniewski restaurant at Dorotheergasse 1 in Vienna is considered one of the best in town and is one of only three restaurants of the city centre advertised by the official municipal website. In all, there are 8 outlets in the city, each selling more than 20 various types of sandwiches. The official motto of the company is Unspeakably good sandwiches, a reference to the Polish name of the founder, unpronounceable to most German speakers.