| The early history of our story has it's beginnings | | | | espresso units, made the business decisions to |
| in a municipality of Northern Italy known as | | | | add more profit to this classic beverage and a |
| Bellagio. Bellagio is actually a coined name; a | | | | number of spirit added versions began to appear. |
| contraction of the two Italian words BELLA and | | | | Interestingly though, when the first Peets |
| LAGO, or more grammatically correct, LAGO | | | | appeared in Seattle in 1966, it was as a retail |
| BELLA, which translated, means "Beautiful Lake". | | | | coffee store and not a coffee bar. Alfred Peet, |
| Bellagio is a favorite vacation spot for international | | | | who had come from Holland, was primarily a |
| tourists and has been for many centuries. It's | | | | roaster who believed in roasting in a dark fashion |
| particular location on Lake Como affords it both a | | | | and even to this day, where it has followed in a |
| magnificent view of the lake as well as one of the | | | | fashion similar to Starbucks, it still remains more |
| splendorous Swiss Alps to its north. | | | | of a retail operation, than a coffee bar type of |
| 19th century travelers to Bellagio would find In | | | | store like Starbucks, which started out, with it's |
| the narrow winding streets of the commercial | | | | three original owners, as a store that bought it's |
| district, a delightful variety of little ristorantes and | | | | beans from Peets. |
| shops; all holding the promise of discovering the | | | | Earlier in time as the original Starbucks, in 1963 |
| perfect Italian memento and the anticipated | | | | there appeared a retail coffee shop by the name |
| experience of delectable Italian cuisine. | | | | of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. This operation was |
| One of those prized ristorantes was a | | | | created by Herbert and Mona Hyman and opened |
| combination Inn and restaurant and known mainly | | | | in Brentwood California. A second shop was |
| by seasoned, regular visitors to Bellagio, It was | | | | stated a few years later in Beverly Hills and |
| owned and managed by one Madelena Morisi. | | | | around the beginning of 1970's a third shop |
| Now, Madelena's Ristorante Varese, was | | | | opened in Pasadena California. |
| celebrated for it's Northern Italian style cooking | | | | Now the importance of noting these three coffee |
| that featured such dishes as Risotto, Polenta with | | | | operations, Peets, Starbucks and Coffee Bean |
| chicken cacciatorre in sauce, Gnocchi, Tortellini in | | | | and Tea Leaf is that none of these shops were |
| brodo and other pastas served in Marinara or | | | | basic coffee bars. They were operated as outlets |
| Bolognese sauces. | | | | for their roasting expertise and two separate |
| However, patrons of the restaurant, upon | | | | events, happening hundreds of miles apart, would |
| returning home, would invariably wax poetic about | | | | influence and lead these early pioneering forces in |
| the specialty coffee dessert "Caffe D'Amore con | | | | the world of coffee to change their business |
| Un Bacio" (The Coffee of Love (with a Kiss.") that | | | | models and their ultimate goals. And in the |
| Madelena prepared in the following manner: | | | | process, would be principally responsible for the |
| Starting with her freshly brewed, full-bodied | | | | creation of the specialty coffee world that we live |
| coffee, she stirred in melted Belgian dark | | | | in today. |
| chocolate. and then, would lace the beverage with | | | | In 1981, Howard Schultz came all the way from |
| 2 or 3 liqueurs. She then finished with a topping of | | | | New York to take a look at Starbucks. His |
| freshly whipped cream. | | | | interest had been peaked by the amount of |
| It is of particular interest,to learn that Madelena's | | | | coffee brewing machines of the company he |
| novel coffee dessert, was considered an act of | | | | worked for, Starbucks had been purchasing. He |
| heresy by traditional Italian coffee standards of | | | | was determined to be a part of this exciting |
| the day. Coffee, or Capuccio (kah-poo-cho) as it | | | | business and it's location, Seattle. Eventually, his |
| was then, and remains today, something that is | | | | persistence to become a part of the business |
| treated with reverence. It is a source of national | | | | was rewarded by his being hired as Marketing |
| pride in Italy. This was the Italy of years before | | | | Director and Operations Director. |
| the proliferation of the post-war espresso | | | | On a trip to Italy, buying interesting retail items |
| machines. In those years, the recently-formed | | | | for the Starbucks two stores, Shultz came back |
| "united nation" which now was made up of | | | | having become convinced that what the business |
| former competing city states that often in | | | | should provide was more of a gathering place for |
| history, had fought each other in war. Coffee | | | | people to come and drink coffee and socialize. |
| then, was made on a coffee maker, that held a | | | | The owners of Starbucks were not convinced so |
| vertical boiler . This massive unit was designed | | | | Schultz set out on his own to create his dream. |
| with the panache of typical Italian fashion, looking | | | | His former employers, did invest in his enterprise. |
| like a work of art, with it's elegant design, giving it | | | | Schultz managed to create a few stores of a |
| the appearance of something deserving exhibition | | | | chain he called "Il Giornale", but he came back to |
| in a museum. | | | | the Starbucks owners, felling that he must buy |
| The biggest problem that this system posed, was | | | | the magical name and logo of Starbucks. |
| the length of time it took to make the coffee. | | | | He eventually prevailed and by the late 1980's he |
| This led to lost work time in the business world, | | | | had bought the Starbucks operation and began |
| with workers standing by, cup in hand, for the | | | | hiring and training the personnel who would lead |
| machine to deliver their coffee. | | | | the invasion we now know as the The Starbucks |
| In 1925, Madelena abruptly made the decision to | | | | Empire. One of the early acquisitions that Shultz |
| close her prized ristorante Varese. Hearing about | | | | made, was a chain operation, "Coffee Connection" |
| the wonderful business opportunities that lay | | | | in Boston, Massachusetts. Coffee Connection had |
| across the ocean in America, she decided, along | | | | a drink concept that they called "Frappuccino" and |
| with her two teen-age daughters, to migrate to | | | | had registered ownership of the name This name |
| the USA. Her husband, Lazzaro Morisi, had gone | | | | consists of a combination of the word for a |
| off to war in 1917, joining in the bloody trench | | | | milkshake drink, Frappe , called "Frap" in the |
| warfare being fought in World War I. At the war's | | | | eastern parts of Massachusetts, along with the |
| termination in 1918, as stated in the words of the | | | | Italian coffee name, cappuccino. |
| song, "How you gonna keep him down on the | | | | In the meantime, as a fortuitous coincidence, an |
| farm, after he's seen Paree?" He not only could | | | | adjacent shop to the Pasadena Coffee Bean |
| not be kept down in that farm, he never came | | | | operation, a European Delicatessen named |
| back from Paree! | | | | Stottlemyers European Delicatessen, introduced |
| Arriving in America in late 1925, Madelena settled | | | | an instant flavored coffee beverage, formulated |
| with her brood in Boston, Massachusetts. There, | | | | and developed by the shop's owner, Eva Stiles |
| she opened the first Cavanna Restaurant (using | | | | Comi. Eva initially designed her mix to be served |
| her maiden name, Cavanna). Thirteen years later, | | | | hot, but shortly after, and because of the |
| in 1939, she sold this restaurant and opened a | | | | immediate success of it, she designed a blender |
| second Cavanna Restaurant in Revere Beach, | | | | prepared version of the coffee with added ice |
| Massachusetts. That restaurant was sold in 1947, | | | | cream. She gave the frappe beverage the name |
| taking advantage of the boom that followed the | | | | "Frappeccino." |
| end of World War II. | | | | Herb Hyman, owner of The Coffee Bean, was |
| Simultaneously with the Revere Beach sale, | | | | introduced to and became friends with Eva |
| Madelena purchased her third and last restaurant, | | | | through an introduction by the young manager of |
| w located in Durham, Connecticut. In all three of | | | | his Coffee Bean store and he became a frequent |
| her American restaurants she had successfully | | | | visitor to the deli, where he often would order the |
| served her celebrated coffee dessert, which was | | | | Frappeccino drink. |
| featured as a specialty coffee from Italy and with | | | | By 1986, any of the new Coffee Bean Shops |
| an added descriptive note: "The Kissing Cousin to | | | | that opened had all converted to being coffee bar |
| Cappuccino." | | | | operations with a full coffee menu including a new |
| By the 1960's, the new, advanced espresso | | | | "Ice Blended" mocha and vanilla frappe pair of |
| machines began appearing in a number of | | | | beverages. Coincidentally, In the north, all new |
| authentic Italian restaurants with bars. Many of | | | | Starbucks operations also had become coffee bar |
| the sleekly designed units sported gleaming, gaudy | | | | concepts with their coffees, cappuccinos and the |
| copper structures at the top of the units, giving | | | | now world famous "Frappuccinos". |
| them more attention-getting glances from the | | | | Thus is the abbreviated history of how the life |
| patrons. While in Italy, cappuccino and lattes | | | | style of coffee has so dramatically changed not |
| continued to be served in their "natural state", | | | | only in the United States, but around the world. |
| that is, with no adding of flavoring or spirits, in the | | | | And where once, a very Italian way of preparing |
| USA, where the acquired taste for a classic | | | | coffee, primarily found in Italy and the adjacent |
| cappuccino had not yet developed in a major | | | | European countries today, is predominant, not only |
| fashion, restaurants, upon buying the expensive | | | | in American, but nearly throughout the world. |