This may sound strange, but the Ernani Roasting Laboratory was the last part attached to the company.
The Ernani Coffee brand did not yet exist, although all the members had been active in the coffee business for years.
But let’s start from the beginning!
1909
This was the year the Torrefazione opened in Milan.
To date, it is one of the most historic venues in the entire Lombard capital. Enclosed within its walls are memories, tales and real experiences of people increasingly fond of the steaming cup.
The early twentieth century represented a period of development, innovation and transformation for the city.
Not coincidentally, in the same year, the first tramway line was also inaugurated, passing right in front of the cafeteria, starting from Porta Venezia and going all the way to Viale Monza.
For this reason then we chose the color yellow for the Ernani brand, but not a random yellow, just that of the historic Milanese streetcars.
From 1909 to the present there have been generations and numerous changes of ownership, until 2002, when the first Ernani partners, Claudia and Luca, took over the Torrefazione in Corso Buenos Aires, 20, to now, in 2024, after 22 years in business and hopefully as many more in the future!
1998
Luca and Claudia, together with their partner Renzo, took over an important coffee distribution company to Ho.Re.Ca. customers: Caffè Sele srl, which has now become Ernani Distribuzione.
So first came precisely the Distribution of coffee for bars, cafeterias, ice cream parlors, pastry shops, restaurants, hotels, bed & breakfasts, caterers, pubs, etc.
Of course, Ernani Coffee was not being sold, but another brand of coffee.
And that is where the need for a new and improved café began to emerge….
From 1998 until about 2010 everything went smoothly and the company was growing steadily.
Coffee culture was virtually nonexistent, and the three partners first were unaware of what quality really meant.
“Secret” blends were a must for all roasters: the less the customer knew the better.
The goal was just to keep prices low and sell as much as possible. And they also succeeded…
By chance they came into contact with some figures who in 2010 began to popularize the world of coffee, thanks in part to the opening of the first elite academies, and the whole world hitherto built up by the old-generation roasters was slowly collapsing.
Secrets were no longer allowed; you had to be clear about what was inside the kilo package of coffee.
It was better to show instead of hiding.
The definition of “quality coffee” was beginning to come to life and become popular.
The founders then realized that what they were selling was not true quality coffee, in fact…
The first step was to immediately go and talk to the roaster at the time to find ways together to select higher-quality raw coffees, roast the coffee to a lighter level, and thus offer blemish-free coffee.
The roaster’s response was, “It’snot convenient for you, it would cost you all more for nothing, people don’t understand anything about coffee anyway…I don’t want to go down that road, I’d rather keep doing my own.”
Plan “A” went up in smoke within a day, and we had to start thinking about the alternative solution.
Only one could really work, however: open your own coffee roasting plant.
2015
So in 2015 “Ernani Production” was born, last, after Coffee Shop and Distribution, with the goal of selling, administering and popularizing quality coffee!
As a result, the Ernani Coffee Brand was created, thus changing all the insignia of the other related companies.
The Production Laboratory quickly became our home, our place of the heart, where the aroma of freshly roasted coffee blends with the passion for this raw material, where it is possible to play and experiment with beans and extraction methods, also becoming the place where the whole company team meets and unites with our customers and community!
Of course, it was not a quick and easy process; I would say quite the opposite.
Plans began in 2013, leading up to the 2015 inauguration, then continuing training and upgrades through 2022.
It took months, months and months of training, to fully understand the world of coffee and perform the roasting process flawlessly, without creating defects in the bean and especially understanding how to use to our advantage and manipulate every single variable, chemical, physical and thermal of the roast.
As of today we can finally consider the process completed and well underway, although in reality the work never ends! We are always adding new areas and rooms to increase experimentation and education, because we thirst for knowledge and every day can give us new curiosities that will make us appreciate the dark drink even more.
All this we want to bring to you with a strong social presence as well. Choose your favorite social media and start following us to learn about the all-around world of coffee:
2019
The last, at least for now, step for Caffè Ernani was the possibility of selling its coffee to individuals as well.
Because in order to jumpstart a revolution in the Italian coffee industry, it is not enough for baristas or coffee operators, you have to reach the end consumer as well!
So we created and opened our Online Shop, where you can buy and ship coffee all over Italy and all European Union countries, as well as opening the doors of the Roasting Laboratory for anyone who was from our area and wanted to buy coffee directly from us!
Here we can finally meet you in person and drink some coffee together!
Now we are excited about the next steps ahead, which we can’t wait to tell you about!
Marketing, E-commerce e Social Media Manager
Coffee Lover
