In 1881, Landtmann sold his café to two brothers, Wilhelm and Rudolf Kerl, who continued to run the business under the name Landtmann. After Rudolf retired, Wilhelm ran the café alone and became a local celebrity with prominent figures like Gustav Mahler, Sigmund Freud, and Emmerich Kálmán visiting him regularly. In 1916, after 35 years of running the business, Wilhelm sold Café Landtmann to Karl Kraus, a former butcher and restaurateur. Together with the Hokare Ges.m.b.H. private limited company, Kraus ran the café for five years.
