Procaffé, one of the Italian and international players for the espresso market, based in Belluno, is aiming to lower the age of its customers, but above all it is aiming to expand abroad. Part of the Austrian Wedl & Hofman group, a holding company active worldwide in food and beverage based in Innsbruck, the Veneto-based brand includes other historic brands, all deeply rooted in the territory with their commercial presence: Deorsola (Turin), founded in 1920; Breda (Padua), founded in 1921; and Caffè Testarossa, whose cafés are spreading to several European and international markets. 

The group's spearhead is Caffè Bistrot, which continues to grind out accolades in the year it decided to revamp its image: in 2022 it was identified as one of the 10 best coffees in the world to order online by the Wall Street Journal, won a spot as the best Bio Fair Trade product of the year in the espresso category of Camaleonte, the first Italian coffee and roasting guide. It also earned the Luxury food&beverage quality Awards 2022 in the "selection coffee" category with its Tiziano 1919 blend. And it has also renewed itself not only in branding, but also in packaging, materials, merchandising, and bar apparel.

"Our group has a great international vocation -explains Boris Battistella, cfo of Procaffè-. Sixty percent of turnover comes from exports. Strong growth markets are Austria, Germany, where we have a direct sales office from May 2022. Then Greece and the United States, with expansion plans in the pipeline. In Romania the brand is having great success".

In 2002 the company from Belluno passed to the Austrian group Wedl & Hoffman, which has given new development to its activities in Italy and abroad: the company's turnover in 2019 pre-covid was 36 million Euros but due to the pandemic it fell to 24 million and then rose again in 2021 to 29 million, returning to profit post-covid: estimates for 2022 speak of a turnover in line with 2019, with the aggregate rising to 40 million Euros. The group currently employs 150 people, and this number continues to grow after internal strengthening and the opening of new branches: 25 people have been hired in the past 12 months.

Recently, a building adjoining the headquarters was acquired to accommodate the company's growth: however, Belluno will remain the hub of manufacturing. An academy is active at the headquarters with the collaboration of local hotel institutes: the company is engaged in brand repositioning activities involving product, communication and packaging, targeting millennials, thus lowering the age of consumers.

"In 2022 the whole coffee sector experienced difficulties due to the high costs of raw materials, logistics, to which the strengthening of the dollar also contributed -Battistella added-. As a group we have maximum freedom of action, independence is high. Our raw materials come from Brazil for the arabica quality and from Vietnam for the robusta: we guarantee careful control over the entire supply chain, from production and throughout the journey of arrival in the Belluno area".