Latest news with #Lavazza
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Minuto Bauli: Italy-Based Pastry Shop Expands To New York City
Minuto Bauli: Italy-Based Pastry Shop Expands To New York City Molly Tavoletti When Minuto Bauli, which owns 12 pastry/coffee shops in Italy and one in Vienna looked to expand, it decided to do so in New York City. Why decide on NYC which is over 4,000 miles from Italy and across the Atlantic Ocean? The ownership, explains Jacopo Butti, Minuto Bauli's general manager for North America, who hails from Verona, Italy but has lived in NYC for 20 years, believes that the NYC market 'is expanding and growing more than Europe. Therefore, it's better to invest in a market with greater potential than the Italian market, which is more stagnant.' Only One Pastry Served Its signature dish, Minuto Bauli, is also its only pastry served. Butti describes it as a 'sweet bread, which comes from a simple recipe consisting of butter, flour, eggs and mother yeast.' And each minuto bauli can be filled with 6 different fillings and 8 toppings. Its 6 fillings include hazelnut spread, pastry cream, pistachio spread, dark chocolate, apricot jam and mixed berry jam. Its 3 most popular toppings are chopped hazelnuts, chopped pistachios and white chocolate pearls, which together constitute about 60% of its business. 'In a world where personalization is increasingly important, we want to offer the chance to create new and unique combinations, every time,' Butti points out. Butti noted that its goal was to 'create spaces where people can enjoy an authentic Italian experience, one freshly baked treat a time.' And even its name, which includes minuto, meaning just a minute, suggests 'take a brief moment to slow down and reset,' he explains. In opening in NYC, it's aiming to reach an American audience while maintaining its authentic Italian ingredients and recipes, thereby bringing a piece of Italian pastry to a large, multicultural metropolis. Minuto Bauli is 100% owned by its original owner, the Bauli family that opened its first retail shop in 2017, without private equity funding or outside investors. Its pastries are still based on founder Ruggero Bauli's original recipe and still relies on its Futura mother yeast. Dough Is Prepared in Italy Butti explains that its dough is actually prepared in Verona, Italy by one of its master bakers in the original laboratory where the pastry shop began. Each dough selection is weighed and hand-portioned and then frozen so it can be shipped overseas. Once in NYC, he says the dough 'undergoes a slow, 12-hour rising process anchored in Italian tradition and completed with care on-site.' Serves Only One Signature Dessert Asked what other kind of pastries it serves, Butto replies 'We only serve Minuto Bauli, along with our signature coffee drinks and a full-espresso bar' that specializes in Lavazza coffee beans also shipped in from Italy.' So unlike almost every other pastry shop in NYC, which has a variety of items, its specialty item, minuto bauli, is its signature and only offering. It also doesn't serve sandwiches of any kind either, but it offers specialty coffees such as the Calimero, which it calls the Pastry Cream Dream, which consists of coffee, whipped cream and pastry cream topped with Catalan crunchy grains, Butti asserts. It opened on Broadway and 16th Street, across from Union Square Park and around the corner from a popular Barnes & Nobel bookstore. Butti says it selected this site because it is a place 'where many different audiences intersect-students, professionals, locals and tourists.' It's located near an Ole & Steen's pastry shop, the Danish shop which now has 5 NYC locations. He refers to this Union Square area as 'the new hot zone where more and more retail food and beverage brands are moving, and we wanted to be ahead of the trend.' Asked if it's made any alterations to its pastries to appeal to an American audience, Butti says it hasn't but 'we're here to listen and learn from our customers. We will, periodically, update offering based on local tastes.' It also has rather lengthy hours of mostly 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (weekend hours may vary). 'We're like a gelato shop. We get customers in a rush, and in the summer, people stay out late after dinner,' he explains. First NYC and Then More American Locations On Yelp, customer reaction tended to be positive. Miranda from Brooklyn and her friend were attracted to its shop's purple and neon lights, which they had already seen on social media. They shared the minuto bauli with pistachio topping and thought it was 'rich yet light. My friends thought the cream was a little too sweet but for me it was just right.' And Tsvikia from Manhattan found the minute bauli 'decadent, ridiculously tasty, and the buns had just the right fluffiness, an excellent dessert option or just on the run treat.' Moving to NYC is part of a 5-year expansion plan, Butti notes, that starts with NYC and then expects to grow along the East Coast. They expect to expand in various Manhattan neighborhoods such as Midtown, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, West Village, SoHo and also Williamsburg, Brooklyn though he admitted rents there are rising. He calls the keys to its success as: 1) Product innovation, such as creating a chocolate-based dough or cinnamon dough, 2) Selecting the right store format; smaller stores should work, 3) Getting the brand name out there, which should happen as they expand. 'We see Minuto Bauli becoming part of the rhythm of American cities,' he says. ____
Belfast Telegraph
22-07-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
The £5 latte cannot be far away: hedge funds and iced drinks are driving change in the coffee market
Prices have fallen back a little in recent months — but right now, the green coffee beans that are the basic raw material for your flat white are 47% more expensive than they were a year ago, says Sheila Dowling, commercial director at Bewley's, the Republic of Ireland's best-known bean roaster. That means Bewley's is paying €1.7m (£1.5m) more this year for its usual order of green beans — and coffee consumers have been hit with price rises of as much as 30% a cup. The nightmare scenario for everyone in the sector is to see the price of a cup of coffee rise above €5 (£4.30) — a level that would be hard for consumers to swallow and businesses to sustain, says Ms Dowling. But when, earlier this year, the price of beans on the market rose towards $5 (£3.70) a pound, that looked set to become a reality. 'Coffee was always around $1.20 a pound, maybe $1.40. But after Covid, things really started to change. We had Ukraine. Then we had the Suez Canal, then the Red Sea. It was the perfect storm — and by February of this year, it had risen to over $4.20.' Earlier this month it was reported that the boss of coffee giant Lavazza blamed hedge fund speculation for the volatility. Ms Dowling agrees, but believes that a huge amount of supply that has been bought by speculators will at some point be released into the market and help moderate the price. But the EU's new Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which comes into force in January and aims to curb deforestation linked to the production of commodities such as coffee, could push prices back up. In recent months, the price of coffee has fallen slowly, and by last week it was back at $3 a pound. 'But when you think of the weeks ahead, with Trump and tariffs and exchange rates, you just don't know where it's going to go,' she says. Despite the price of coffee soaring to global highs this year, Ms Dowling suggests coffee may be an affordable luxury for younger people. 'Where people have disposable income is in colleges and universities — they are more likely to spend income than save for a rainy day.' And that generation, she says, is driving another massive sea-change — the cold brew. Coffee lovers under 35 are driving an explosion of iced beverages, a new report by UK-based coffee syrup manufacturer Beyond the Bean has found. Iced beverage consumption in the UK has surged by 26.7% since 2023, driven mainly by millennial/Gen Z consumers. 'There is speculation that younger people will eventually revert to hot coffee, but I don't think that will be the case. If we look at sales data on Starbucks in the US, 80% of their coffee is now served cold.' The trend could have big implications, both for coffee shops and for producers such as Bewley's. Cold brew is produced differently than traditional coffee and is supplied as a concentrate. To meet the expected demand for cold brew here, Bewley's has spent 18 months sourcing a cold brew product to bring to the Irish coffee market. The Bewley's Columbian Fairtrade Cold Brew process involves coffee grounds being slowly steeped in cool water, which extracts a less acidic flavour from the bean, says Ms Dowling. 'It's moving fast from a low base, and 50% of Gen Z are now saying they will drink cold all year round,' she says. 'We're working with a partner right now, but it is our ambition to invest in our own business to produce a cold brew. But it's a very different process and it'd be like setting up a whole new factory.'
Irish Independent
20-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
The €5 latte cannot be far away: hedge funds and iced drinks are driving change in the coffee market
The wholesale price of coffee rose 47pc in a year – is nothing sacred? Fearghal O'Connor With hedge funds driving volatile coffee bean markets to record highs in recent months and a growing taste for cold coffee brews amongst young people, the coffee sector is facing big changes. Prices have fallen back a little in recent months – but right now, the green coffee beans that are the basic raw material for your flat white are 47pc more expensive than they were a year ago, says Sheila Dowling, commercial director at Bewley's, the country's best known bean roaster. That means Bewley's is paying €1.7m more this year for its usual order of green beans – and coffee consumers have been hit with price rises of as much as 30pc a cup. The nightmare scenario for everyone in the sector is to see the price of a cup of coffee rise above €5 – a level that would be hard for consumers to swallow and businesses to sustain, says Dowling. But when, earlier this year, the price of beans on the market rose towards $5 a pound that looked set to become a reality. 'Coffee was always around $1.20 a pound, maybe $1.40. But after Covid things really started to change. We had Ukraine. Then we had the Suez Canal, then the Red Sea. It was the perfect storm – and by February of this year it had risen to over $4.20.' Last week it was reported that the boss of coffee giant Lavazza blamed hedge fund speculation for the volatility. Dowling agrees, but believes that a huge amount of supply that has been bought by speculators will at some point be released into the market and help moderate the price. But the EU's new Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which comes into force in January and aims to curb deforestation linked to the production of commodities such as coffee, could push prices back up. In recent months the price of coffee has fallen slowly, and by last week it was back at $3 a pound. 'But when you think of the weeks ahead, with Trump and tariffs and exchange rates, you just don't know where it's going to go,' she says. ADVERTISEMENT Despite the price of coffee soaring to global highs this year, Dowling suggests coffee may be an affordable luxury for younger people. 'Where people have disposable income is in colleges and universities – they are more likely to spend income than save for a rainy day.' And that generation, she says, is driving another massive sea-change – the cold brew. Coffee lovers under 35 are driving an explosion of iced beverages, a new report by UK-based coffee syrup manufacturer Beyond the Bean has found. Iced beverage consumption in the UK has surged by 26.7pc since 2023, driven mainly by millennial/Gen Z consumers. 'There is speculation that younger people will eventually revert to hot coffee, but I don't think that will be the case. If we look at sales data on Starbucks in the US, 80pc of their coffee is now served cold.' The trend could have big implications, both for coffee shops and for producers such as Bewley's. Cold brew is produced differently than traditional coffee and is supplied as a concentrate. To meet the expected demand for cold brew here, Bewley's has spent 18 months sourcing a cold brew product to bring to the Irish coffee market. The Bewley's Columbian Fairtrade Cold Brew process involves coffee grounds being slowly steeped in cool water, which extracts a less acidic flavour from the bean, says Dowling. 'It's moving fast from a low base, and 50pc of Gen Z are now saying they will drink cold all year round,' she says. 'We're working with a partner right now but it is our ambition to invest in our own business to produce a cold brew. But it's a very different process and it'd be like setting up a whole new factory.'
Spectator
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
How to spot a troublesome Airbnb review
The guest who thought our farm was in the town centre was very cross indeed. She got out of her car by the old fountain and stood hands on hips surveying the meadows sloping from the big old house towards the rugged mountains beyond. She was wearing knee-length khaki safari shorts, so you'd have thought she'd be pleased to pitch up in the middle of nowhere. But she looked askance at the rolling hills and affected to be shocked by the reality of what was clearly pictured and described on the booking site. She asked how she and her husband were supposed to walk to their drinks party in town that evening. Could they walk there? Not really, I said. Not unless the party was tomorrow evening and they had good hiking boots. 'Taxi?' she asked. So we had to explain. The only taxi here is the funeral director. Whether he can take your booking to go anywhere other than the grave very much depends on how many burials he is doing. When I explain this to most guests, they love it. They think I'm joking for a while and then they realise I'm not. As the builder boyfriend always says, Father Ted is not a comedy, it's a fly-on-the-wall documentary. The wonder of West Cork is that there really is a place called Whiddy Island, and one of the biggest towns really does boast a Blackpudding Visitor Centre, which advises you to book in advance. People say 'No bother!' to everything, because it is no bother to them. Because they are not going to do it. Can I have a taxi? No bother! This translates as no. When you call the funeral taxi, he answers the phone after 25 rings and doesn't say a word while you try to explain why you are being so bold as to want to go somewhere. Finally he says: 'No bother!' He can do something next Thursday if you like. Be assured that while you cannot have a taxi until next Thursday, if you happen to die before next Thursday, he will fit you in. If you cannot appreciate this sort of thing, then you should not be travelling around rural Ireland on the cheap, staying in Airbnbs. Instead, book into a luxury golfing resort with spa – Trump International Doonbeg looks very nice. The lady, who said she was from America despite having an English accent, did not get it. She kept telling her husband, who was Irish, to phone cabs. From his face, you knew he knew this was pointless. Almost immediately, the builder boyfriend felt so bad he offered to drive them into town. He even offered to pick them up again when their party was over. But they said they couldn't possibly accept. They got in their car, she still wearing safari shorts, and said they would drive to their party and not drink. They left early the next day, looking peevish. The BB offered them coffee. The man said yes please, but unbeknown to me she then told him they didn't have time. I was making the coffee when I heard them drive away and I ripped a strip off the BB for making me waste a coffee machine full of Lavazza, which screwed our margins, given the price of Lavazza here – only slightly less expensive than a block of gold because the government taxes everything to high heaven so being in the EU does not help one bit when it comes to buying French cheese or Italian coffee. It's almost cheaper to fly to London and buy it. I always know when a troublesome review is coming because it takes a long time. This one delayed for two weeks, submitting on the last day possible – same as the man who downgraded us because we didn't have a doormat. I don't know why people do this. In the online democracy of endless ratings, if you are going to say you don't like something, why not get on with it? I think people feel guilty, knowing full well that harshly judging a small private enterprise as though it were a major hotel chain is wrong. It came in four stars, which put our overall rating down again, and in the comments she typed a warning to potential guests, along the lines that suggested I was deceiving people. I had a poor Indian chap work on our listing all night, or all day his time, to indicate our exact location in the headline, as well as in the body of the text. He had to override the software to force the system not to link us to the nearest town in any way, just in case someone else in safari shorts wanted to walk to a party. I appealed the review but after a process that took ten minutes, Airbnb judged it fair. 'Sorry to put you on the spot,' said the next one, a week before arrival for a one-night stay. 'It's my wife's birthday…' He wanted my ideas for something nearby to do to make their stay 'romantic'. I was desperate to avoid another four stars so I racked my brains. A moonlit stroll along the roadside where Michael Collins was shot? A picnic at Three Castle Head under the stars, and hope you don't see the white lady, because that means you're going to die within 24 hours? Whale-watching? Bioluminescence night kayaking, with the Northern Lights if they can be arranged? I suggested some restaurants then fretted over whether to upgrade him to a better room, or put champagne on the tea tray. The BB, who had the lawnmower upside down to fix it, said absolutely not. 'Then what should we tell him? He wants to know something romantic to do for his wife's birthday.' 'Ask him if he's thought about taking her to Venice.'
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Coffee: The Essential ‘Perk' Of A Perfect Hotel Or Resort Stay
Lavazza, an Italian manufacturer of coffee products, was founded in Turin in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza. getty When you wake up at the Montauk Yacht Club in the Hamptons, you can smell the rich aroma of the in-room machine brewing your morning cup of coffee. On top of the minibar in every room, guests will find an espresso machine by Lavazza, the venerable, family-owned, Turin-based coffee company. A variety of coffee pods, filtered water, and eye-catching porcelain espresso cups accompany the service. Sipping the coffee on your patio or deck with the sun beaming on the water, you might forget you are on Long Island and harken back to memories of a stay on the Italian Riviera. Many cultures worldwide begin the day with a coffee ritual, whether at home or traveling. A 2025 report by the National Coffee Association (NCA) found that two-thirds of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee each day, with the average American coffee drinker consuming three. Waking up to a disappointing cup of coffee at a luxury hotel or resort can leave a bad taste. Not just literally. It can also negatively affect a guest's overall impression of their stay. The mere thought of enduring a week or more of watery, tasteless, or bitter coffee can be daunting. Negative comments slamming in-room coffee service abound on Reddit threads and Tripadvisor reviews. 'As I sit here in my room at…with my little cup of brown liquid that tastes of regret and despair, I wonder, 'Why do hotels even bother with this?' Hotel coffee sucks 95% of the time,' wrote one Reddit user. The industry publication International Communicaffe found that two-thirds of consumers judge the quality of a hotel or restaurant based on the quality of their coffee. It can also affect rebooking decisions. As coffee lovers become more knowledgeable and discerning about the sourcing, roasting, brewing, sustainability and taste of coffee, this creates pressure on the hospitality industry to meet their expectations. As a result, hoteliers are upping their game when it comes to coffee service. The American Penchant For All Things Italian, Including Coffee Vintage Vespa Scooter getty Italy is renowned for its sophisticated style and taste, which permeate various aspects of its culture, including fashion, food, wine, and automobiles. This "Made in Italy" ethos also extends to its celebrated coffee culture. Coffee in the Bel Paese has been an integral part of Italian life since the early 20th century. "Enjoying an espresso or cappuccino is not just a routine—it is a moment to slow down and savor," says Daniele Foti, Lavazza North American Marketing Vice President. This sentiment, he says, encapsulates Lavazza's "La Dolce Vita" philosophy, which celebrates the beauty of everyday life found in small, intentional pleasures. Looking at trends, the NCA report found that consumption of espresso-based beverages (which include cappuccinos, espressos, lattes, caffe mochas, macchiatos, flat whites and Americanos) increased by a whopping 17% from 2020 to 2025. Foti believes that Americans are drawn to Italian coffee, not just for its quality and flavor, but also for the cultural experience it represents, which includes authenticity, simplicity, and connection. Lavazza: A Case Study of Italian Coffee's Hospitality Expansion Lavazza Cafe at Montauk Yacht Club Lavazza To expand its footprint in the U.S., Lavazza has been developing partnerships with properties and companies whose values resonate with those of the coffee maker. Initial partners include the Four Seasons, Ennismore, Dinex Group, Paris Baguette, Eataly, Princess Cruises and high-profile events like the U.S. Open, Art Basel, Aspen One, and Taste of SLS. Lavazza tailors its offerings to each partner from a menu that can include espresso-based beverages, cold brew, specialty drinks and brewed coffee made with Lavazza premium blends. They may even train baristas. For example, at the Montauk Yacht Club, Lavazza designed a 360° coffee experience. Touchpoints at the resort include a branded cafe/market, in-room coffee kits, a poolside cart, and a custom Lavazza-infused dining and cocktail menu with items such as tiramisu, chilled mousse, and espresso martinis. A Lavazza Tiramisu Martini Lavazza Hotel Clio, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Denver's Cherry Creek section, also selected Lavazza as their preferred coffee source. 'The array of blends and single-origin coffees is among the best in the world in terms of flavor and consistency,' says Christopher Polys, Marketing Manager. He explains that the Luxury Collection has its own Italian heritage, originating from the brand Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi (CIGA). The Clio Hotel offers Lavazza in-room espresso and 24-hour drip in the lobby, using the Lavazza Crema line, which is suitable for classic on-the-go American coffees that use milk and sugar, he says. Waking up at the Hotel Clio Denver Hotel Clio The hotel's in-house restaurant, Toro by Chef Richard Sandoval, uses the Top Class line for desserts, like Toro's Mexican Affogato, and highlights the coffee with a complementary chocolate pairing at the hotel's 'Tuesday Epicurean Moments'. A Winning Marketing Strategy Coffee at home getty Hospitality partnerships like these upgrade the consumer coffee experience and, by association, simultaneously enhance the prestige of the property/company serving it. 'Guests in the luxury segment today expect excellence in the smallest details,' says Leah Miller, a marketing strategist with Versys Media. 'Coffee is no longer just a wake-up call; it's an aesthetic and sensory extension of the brand.' The Italian ritual of stopping at a favorite bar before work for a quick espresso or cappuccino accompanied by a sweet pastry is still familiar in Italy. However, most coffee consumption in the U.S. and Italy takes place at home. Lavazza's win-win hospitality partnerships also pay off in sales by introducing (or reintroducing) hotel and resort guests to its premium Italian coffee brand, which they can enjoy at home or away.
