L'espresso All'Italiana

Justin Doebele, 05.12.03

The inspiration for Starbucks came to Howard Schultz during a visit to Italy, where he first experienced Europe's cafe culture. Back in Seattle, Schultz's initial venture before taking over Starbucks in 1987 was a joint called Il Giornale.

Now the Italians are fighting back. Along with Coffee Bean, the other foreign-owned firm trying to mount a credible challenge to Starbucks is the Italian chain Segafredo Zanetti.

Although its homegrown rivals Lavazza and Illy are probably better known, Segafredo Zanetti is Italy's largest coffee roaster. With little publicity the Bologna-based company now ranks sixth worldwide with 350 outlets in 30 countries. "We have a plan to open 1,000 stores in five years," says Cesare Zamboni, president of Segafredo Zanetti Espresso Worldwide, which is overseeing the expansion.

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