Torrefazione Italia facts for kids
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| Type | Coffee |
|---|---|
| Owner | |
| Introduced | 1986 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Markets | Worldwide |
Torrefazione Italia is a special brand of coffee beans. It's known for its high-quality coffee. Today, it's owned by Starbucks, a very famous coffee company. Before Starbucks bought it, Torrefazione Italia was its own chain of coffee shops.
Contents
The Story of Torrefazione Italia
How It Started
The very first Torrefazione Italia coffee shop opened its doors in Seattle, Washington in 1986. It was a cozy place where people could enjoy delicious espresso, coffee, and fresh baked goods.
Growing Bigger
Umberto Bizzarri, who started Torrefazione, joined forces with Jim Stewart. Jim was the founder of Stewart Brother's Coffee. This company later became known as Seattle's Best Coffee.
Together, Umberto and Jim created a new company called Seattle Coffee Holdings. In 1995, they built a modern coffee roasting factory. This factory was located on Vashon Island, Washington. It roasted coffee for both Seattle's Best Coffee and Torrefazione Italia.
In 1998, another company called AFC Enterprises bought Seattle Coffee Holdings. The company was then renamed Seattle Coffee Company.
Expanding Across North America
Torrefazione Italia coffee shops began to open in many other cities. You could find them in places like Vancouver BC, the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland, Boston, Chicago, and Dallas. Their coffee was also sold to restaurants, hotels, bakeries, and other coffee shops.
Joining Starbucks
In 2003, Starbucks, another big coffee company from Seattle, bought Torrefazione Italia. They also bought Seattle's Best Coffee at the same time.
In 2005, Starbucks decided to close all 17 Torrefazione Italia coffee shops. The shops in San Francisco closed on October 27, 2005. Even though the shops closed, the Torrefazione Italia coffee brand continued. You can still find their coffee today. It's sold in coffee shops, hotels, offices, schools, and hospitals across the United States.
Types of Coffee
Torrefazione Italia offers different types of coffee.
Whole Bean Coffee
This is coffee sold as whole beans. You can grind them yourself at home.
- Perugia
- Montecatini Decaf (decaffeinated coffee)
Ground Coffee Packs
These are pre-ground coffee portions. They are ready to brew.
- Napoli
- Montecatini Decaf (decaffeinated coffee)
Caffè Umbria
The Bizzarri family, who started Torrefazione Italia, later began a new coffee business. Umberto's son, Emanuele Bizzarri, started a new coffee roasting company and coffee shop chain. It is called Caffè Umbria.
See also
- List of coffeehouse chains
