coffeehouses as fashion boutiques

The holy trinity of Italian coffee for me includes Segafredo, Lavazza, and Illy.  Thus far, I’ve been blessed with visiting coffee shops by both Lavazza (at Denver International Airport, Concourse A) and Segafredo (in the Forum Shops @ Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas). 

Segafredo’s spot is the epitome of stylish; sleek, modern lines bathed in their signature red and black.  Lavazza’s is a bit more utilitarian, but still oozes Italian sex appeal.  According to the New York Times, Illy has plans to take the notion of ‘coffee shop’ to a new level of haute couture entirely.

Illy, nestled in this charming Adriatic port city, is picking up the lead, vying with the fashion business for cachet and flair. Illy places its coffee the way Gucci does its handbags, at the top of the market, and it continues to invent accessories, like the single-cup pouches prevalent in Europe these days. It is also introducing espresso bars, called Espressamente, with the look of fashion boutiques, and it surrounds its products with cups and saucers whose design is the work of contemporary artists like Jeff Koons and James Rosenquist.

“Illy is a premier brand,” said Ms. Miller Regan, at Piper Jaffray.

Other interesting notes in the article:

• Illy’s founder, Francesco Illy was the inventor of ‘espresso’ itself.
• Segafredo recently took over the American coffee brands of the Sara Lee Corporation, including Chase & Sanborn, Chock Full o’Nuts and Hills Brothers (price tag: $82.5 million)

One final point that brings a devious smile to my face:

Starbucks is not yet present in Italy, but Cliff Burrows, president of Starbucks Coffee in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, wrote, by e-mail, “We are very excited about the opportunities for Starbucks in Italy,” though he said the company was not yet prepared to announce an opening. Still, Ms. Miller Regan said Europe in general was “a more challenging region” for Starbucks, because of the ingrained coffee culture.

“Ingrained coffee culture” = “people who can taste the difference between burned piss and a decent espresso”.