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October 3, 1955 was my first day of school. Excited and a little fearful about this new adventure, i arrived in front of the istituto cesare arici, accompanied by my mother, where monsignor cavalleri and miss prunali were waiting for us. I was immediately distracted from the strictness of the school by the warm aroma of coffee that came from outside, which piqued my interest. When my mother came to pick me up, i forced her to take me to see where the smell was coming from, and so we discovered the machine that looked very similar to a locomotive, but didn’t move.
A few doors down from the istituto arici, heading east, in a little shop that still exists today, the cartapani coffee roasting company founded by the two brothers domenico (1930-2020) and mario (1926-1981) had by then been working for some years – more precisely since 1951. There are still traces of the “little shop” in via trieste at number 21 A. During this period, the city experienced the launch of projects such as the tito speri gallery, the asphalting of the roads and the first civil pavilions, signs of recovery after the war. 1951 was also the year of the first sanremo music festival, the year italy joined the european coal and steel community, and when the ‘formula 13’ was introduced to the totocalcio (football pools).
If mario and domenico cartapani could see us now, they would perhaps proudly say “congratulations guys!”, admiring the company's new headquarters in borgosatollo, the result of the commitment of the second generation of the family of brescia coffee roasters, who have successfully erected this imposing and finely crafted building. Although the introduction of coffee in italy dates back to 1570, when the venetian doctor prospero alpino imported it to be sold in pharmacies, it was not received with much enthusiasm until it was tasted by pope clement viii who described it as “delicious.”
In the historical fabric of brescia, the opening of the first public establishments, such as inns, in 1600 marked the start of a tradition. However, the real turning point came on 26 december 1727, when, in a little street between the loggia and the former notarial archives, the first bar was opened.
Caffè dei precc or caffè dei gobbi thus added a new chapter to the spread of coffee in the city. 1953 revealed a change in household spending according to the italian consumer price index istat: food spending decreased in favor of other categories such as clothing, housing, health, transport and leisure, a reflection of a new economic and social status.
It is in this context of changes in consumption and in the daily life of households that the story of cartapani finds its place, not only in brescia but in a broader context of evolution.
It is not by chance that Domenico and Mario Cartapani, two determined young men, were in via trieste: Mario gained experience at the torrefazione il levante in via gabriele rosa, managed by the albieri family, while Domenico worked in the anderboni family shop, also in via trieste. With the savings they had accumulated and a little bit of credit, Domenico and Mario purchase a used roasting machine (which they would soon replace with a new one) and on 18 august 1951, they lifted what, with a typical lombard expression, they called the "Clèr" (the shutter), and opened the doors to customers.
The young coffee roasting company, initially known as Costarica, was located near the historic ‘bue d’oro’ restaurant. The history of the Cartapani family reflects that of many families from brescia: entrepreneurship, trade and craftsmanship fueled by hard work and sacrifice.
DMario and Domenico Cartapani dedicated a large part of their lives to working tirelessly, with Mario nudging Domenico towards coffee roasting, seeing in it a more promising future than in running a grocery store. Mario convinced Domenico by arguing that coffee would become a product of modern history, quoted by authors, singers and representatives of culture.
the first orders
Mario and Domenico Cartapani, when they were not busy roasting, always carried with them the 'order copy', a block of numbered sheets and tissue paper, for recording orders, customer addresses, quantities and payment methods. With a personal approach, they consolidated trust and sometimes friendship with customers, maintaining a close and authentic relationship. Communication was based on the typewriter for correspondence and the telegram for urgent communications.
First steps in marketing
In the 1950s, the Brescia-based coffee roasting company began to explore marketing to better connect with the market. Initially with basic choices and later with targeted business plans. Despite the developments in marketing, quality and customer care remained central, considering that customer loyalty takes time to build but can quickly fade. The company decided to build customer loyalty by offering on free loan a coffee grinder, followed by a coffee machine produced by the milanese company ‘costruzioni meccaniche Camillo Ferretti’. In the meantime, Mario and Domenico both got married and children soon followed: Domenico had three children (Alberto, Lorenzo and Paolo) and Mario had four (Renato, Ruggero, Diego and Gian Battista), with five of the six cousins representing the second generation currently working in the company. In the 1950s, the company experienced significant expansion, finding development opportunities in various parts of the country.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Brescia and the surrounding province experienced a period of fervent growth. Business innovations, such as the Cartapani roasting company, created jobs and stimulated consumption. The 1960s brought further changes: the purchase of coffee packaging machines by Cartapani and the automation of the vacuum packaging process in 1966. These years marked an era of growth, entrepreneurial courage and transformation for Brescia and the province.
Cartapani's incessant growth pushed the roasting company in via Trieste beyond its limits. In 1959, the new plant was built on land purchased from the curia, south of the city. Here, the Paterlini company built a two-story building with a 60 kg roaster initially heated by coal. In January 1960, work began in this new warehouse, marking a key milestone in the company's history. This new chapter, sixteen years after its foundation, reflects the commitment of its men and women and the quality of the product. But where does the coffee come from? What is the quality? How is it processed? The story of Cartapani, which has built its path through seventy years of dedication, is also the answers to these questions.
Coffee – packaged in sacks which, especially those coming from overseas, feature colourful and eye-catching graphics as an expression of the character of the central and south american people – is a tropical plant originally from ethiopia, which the colonial powers then took to the various tropical areas of the earth: the portuguese in brazil, the french in equatorial africa, the dutch in java and sumatra and further north in vietnam, the english in kenya and tanzania.
Coffee is substantially divided into two large families: arabica (superior quality, low caffeine content and an intense aroma) and robusta (high caffeine content and a prevailing bitterness). Arabica grows in mountainous areas between 800 and 2,000/2,100 metres and comes originally from the crops of the highlands of ethiopia and also yemen, subsequently finding a good habitat in central and south america. Each drupe protects two seeds that are a withered yellow colour tending towards green. Robusta is also originally from africa, from the congo, later being transplanted in brazil and south east asia. It lives in flat areas up to altitudes of 800 metres and the seeds are instead yellow tending towards brown.
Computer innovation
Cartapani's excellence lies in its ability to blend Arabica and Robusta, roasting the coffee with great skill. After technical investments in the 1970s and the acquisition of a roasting factory in the province, the company distinguished itself by its innovation. In 1973, new machines arrived and the sales force was overhauled. In this period, Cartapani introduced computers to manage the growing complexity of the business. The second generation came on board, developing new sales channels. The launch of ‘espresso casa’ and the use of a ‘taglio freddo’ (cold cut) grinding system consolidate Cartapani's position in the world of coffee, always oriented towards excellence and passion.
The creation of a good coffee blend remains shrouded in mystery, just as a winegrower from franciacorta wine maker never reveals to his competitors the exact moment to draw the wine or harvest the grapes. The secrets surrounding the composition of the blend and the result that derives from it have led coffee to become an integral part of literature, music, cinema and theatre, worthy of its own role in any story.
Theatre, music and cinema have all been a privileged stage for coffee.
From Nino Manfredi's illegal seller in "Cafè express" to Domenico Modugno's ode to coffee, ‘O ccafè. Riccardo Del Turco celebrated it at San Remo with "Ma cosa hai messo nel caffè?", while Luciano De Crescenzo reminded us that ‘coffee is a serious thing, just like love.’ in 1918, Giuseppe Capaldo and Vittorio Frassone praised it in a timeless melody. But coffee also features on the crime pages, used for infamous poisonings, such as of the banker Michele Sindona. In literature, prominent figures such as Carlo Goldoni, Italo Svevo, Joyce, Balzac and Rimbaud have written about coffee. There is even a literary magazine, "Il caffè", whose name pays homage to this drink. A starring element that goes beyond the cup, permeating culture and everyday life.
In this universe without borders of social networks, Cartapani seizes the opportunity of ever greater exploration of the world of coffee, anticipating challenges and perfecting communication through the very latest tools. With Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, Snapchat, Whatsapp, Tiktok and others, the roasting company embraces contemporary language, combining its craftsmanship and seventy-year history with leading-edge communication innovation. A combination of tradition and modernity, where coffee culture finds space even in the most recent channels of social communication
A place where stories of gender, nationalities, heritages and professions are interwoven. Here, Marcello and. Ziva Salvatori, in their minimalist venue, transform having a coffee into a unique sensory experience. The Cartapani blend – the result of skilled roasters – becomes the core element that enhances the culinary art of this young couple. But the connection with Cartapani extends beyond the walls of the pastry shop, spreading into the bars and restaurants all over the province of Brescia. From Borgosatollo to the Osteria al cervo da Vito, over one hundred years of history hand-in-hand with caffè Cartapani since 1951
Renata Boldini Pola, guardian of this tradition, confirms her excellent relationship with the coffee roasting family. Pontegatello is home to the ‘Osteria Croce di Malta’, a historical piece of Italy that embraces the tradition of taking a break since the passing wayfarers in the sixteenth century. Here, the kindly Rosa Ancellotti shares stories of her loyal customers, like the guy who travels from Torbole every morning just to enjoy a Cartapani coffee. In the province of brescia, in chiari, the ‘pasticceria rovetta’ has been producing fine quality pastries for forty years, faithful to the cartapani blend for its unrivaled quality. ‘bar gelateria dora’ in lograto celebrates sixty years of a collaboration founded on passion and commitment. In brescia, the ‘chalet brescia’ in castello and the ‘osteria al bianchi’ in via gasparo da salò are both examples of friendship and loyalty that extend for over sixty years of history. The very simple nature of these relationships, based on quality and mutual respect, is evident in the words of the managers.
In june 2017, on the 14th to be exact, cartapani left the via bocchi plant to move to borgosatollo, the family's hometown. The change leads not only to new plants and processes but embraces the era of industry 4.0, a march towards industrial automation that integrates advanced technologies to improve work, innovative business models and reduction of waste. The work at cartapani follows a precise and harmonious rhythm: the sacks of coffee arrive, are weighed, and their precious cargo flows into the silos.
