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Illy looks to make espresso a fashion statementPosted Dec 26th 2006 6:59PM by Joe DiStefanoFiled under: Coffee, Did you know?, America, Italy, Coffee shopsDid you know that the invention of the espresso machine can be traced back to Illy? Me neither. But it all makes sense.I learned this fascinating fact this morning in a New York Times article that details parent company Illycaffè's strategy to maintain its grounds in what's become an increasingly global and competitive coffee bar arena. The company had sought to have the name espresso legally protected so it could only be used by Italian espresso makers. As any Starbucks fan knows this effort failed; Illycaffè was told that espresso is a generic term that cannot be assigned to any particular nation.Illy's new strategy is to make customers view espresso as fashionable. Of course espresso was considered a sophisticated drink long before Starbucks brought the frappuccino into vogue. After all, the idea of café society has existed since the 1800s. It seems the espresso pioneer aims to make the beverage even more fashionable. It has opened a chain of espresso bars called Espressamente that with cups and saucers designed by the likes of Jeff Koons look more like fashion boutiques than typical Italian espresso bars. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to Starbucks for my afternoon jolt, but only because there's no Espressamente in my nabe.
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