Illy looks to make espresso a fashion statement

by Joe DiStefano, Posted Dec 26th 2006 @ 6:59PM

Did you know that the invention of the espresso machine can be traced back to Illy? Me neither. But it all makes sense.

I learned this fascinating fact this morning in a New York Times article that details parent company Illycaffè's strategy to maintain its grounds in what's become an increasingly global and competitive coffee bar arena. The company had sought to have the name espresso legally protected so it could only be used by Italian espresso makers. As any Starbucks fan knows this effort failed; Illycaffè was told that espresso is a generic term that cannot be assigned to any particular nation.

Illy's new strategy is to make customers view espresso as fashionable. Of course espresso was considered a sophisticated drink long before Starbucks brought the frappuccino into vogue. After all, the idea of café society has existed since the 1800s. It seems the espresso pioneer aims to make the beverage even more fashionable. It has opened a chain of espresso bars called Espressamente that with cups and saucers designed by the likes of Jeff Koons look more like fashion boutiques than typical Italian espresso bars.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to Starbucks for my afternoon jolt, but only because there's no Espressamente in my nabe.

Source

Filed Under: Did you know?, Drink Recipes, Coffee Shops
Tags: america, coffee, did you know, Espressamente, espresso, espresso machine, EspressoMachine, Illy, italy, Jeff Koons, JeffKoons, Starbucks

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

12-27-2006 @3:04AM Johan said... The Illy cafés are great as is their coffee! I work at a Swedish university where Illy recently opened shop in the middle of campus and I must say I am hooked. I'll take the atmosphere of an Illy over a Starbucks any day.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

1-08-2007 @8:19PM Greg Sherwin said... No disrespect to the Illy family's contribution to Italian espresso, but the NYTimes got their research wrong on that article. As can be noted on Illy's own Web site: "in 1935, its founder Francesco Illy invented the illetta, the first coffee machine with automatic water dosing and a jet of compressed air -- the predecessor of all [modern] espresso machines." The Berezza, Bambi, Arduino, Rancilio, and Pavoni families should all have legitimate beefs with the Illy family claim made in the Times.

And if you're still curious about Espressamente cafés, here's my review of the one at the Praça de Touros in Lisbon: http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/2006/11/espressamente-lisbon/
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

12-27-2006 @10:36AM calamari said... Interesting, but I have trouble believing that Illy wants to make already omnipresent espresso "fashionable," so much as to make drinking ITALIAN espresso infinitely more hip and chi-chi than drinking a mainstream American brand. They're catering to the market of people who went to Europe and carefully avoided Starbucks there because they were making rapturous noises over Illy... a market that, frankly, I fall within, so I'm looking forward to seeing the Illy coffeehouse hit Scottsdale.
Reply