L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano Consulates based in Rome. Castroni then began roast- ing and selling their own b r a n d o f c o f f e e , a p t l y named "Augusta" after their mother. They also began roasting the secret "Miscela Bar" blend that is served at their bar every day and is also sold to the public. This is the coffee I enjoy every day, either at Castroni's bar or at home, yes — we also d r i n k C a f f è C a s t r o n i a t h o m e , b u y i n g i t f r e s h l y ground. C a s t r o n i c o n t i n u e d t o g r o w , e x p a n d a n d e n j o y increased popularity rapidly o v e r t h e n e x t t e n y e a r s . M a r c e l l o ' s t w o s o n s , Fabrizio and Roberto, joined the company and brought with them a fresh, young and new enthusiasm. Ethnic food items and specialized foreign ingredients became important merchandise to sell, especially with the high number of foreigners visit- i n g o r l i v i n g i n R o m e . C a s t r o n i w a s t h e f i r s t t o b r i n g J a p a n t o R o m e f o r example, and sells ingredi- e n t s t h a t a r e o t h e r w i s e i m p o s s i b l e t o f i n d . T h e store expanded to a floor space of over 2000 square feet, then to over 4000. The o t h e r C a s t r o n i s t o r e s enjoyed the same success and expansion and, by the time the fourth generation entered the business, the f a m i l y h a d 1 3 s p e c i a l t y International food stores in the Eternal City. I often wonder how they f i n d m a n y o f t h e i r p r o d - ucts. Roberto Castroni explained to me that he has invested over 30 years in foreign travel researching speciality food items and, over the years, they have c r e a t e d a n e t w o r k o f International contacts, col- laborators and even friends t h a t a s s i s t i n a s s u r i n g Castroni always has its fin- ger on the "foodie" pulse. Castroni is synonymous with family unity and pride. T h i s p h i l o s o p h y h a s n ' t c h a n g e d s i n c e U m b e r t o C a s t r o n i b e g a n h i s empire. The family takes an active role in the business and you'll always find a fam- i l y m e m b e r i n e a c h store. You'll find more than one actually — just think there are 30 family mem- bers working amongst all the stores, and at the Via Cola di Rienzo one they have 44 staff – 8 of which belong t o t h e C a s t r o n i f a m i l y . E m p l o y e e s w h o a r e n ' t d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d t o t h e Castroni family remain loyal for years, there is always a warm atmosphere when you walk into Castroni and their commitment to customer s e r v i c e n e v e r w a v e r s . Roberto says his employees are happy because they are treated well. He says that his father Marcello taught both h e a n d F a b r i z i o t h a t t o ensure their staff worked well, they must be treated well and looked after — as much as is possible. In fact, Castroni employees always receive their wages regularly on the 27th of each month. (Not always a guarantee in I t a l y t o d a y ) . T h e y a l s o receive benefits that aren't common in every workplace i n I t a l y , s u c h a s h e a l t h i n s u r a n c e a n d m o n e t a r y incentives for productivity e t c . 8 0 % o f C a s t r o n i employees have worked at C a s t r o n i f r o m 1 0 t o 3 0 years, and after 25 years, employees benefit from a generous long service bonus f o r t h e i r l o y a l t y . O n e employee recently retired after 35 years of service. One surprising thing is that bar prices are not inflat- ed, and are in fact kept very competitive. My daily cap- puccino costs €1.20 (around 1 . 4 0 U S D ) a n d a c a f f è (espresso) costs only €0.90 (just over 1 USD)! And con- sidering all the pastries and sandwiches are made freshly on site daily, sandwiches costing from €1.90 – €2.80 (from 2.20 to 3.30 USD) and pastries only €1.00 (1.20 USD) are a steal. Castroni o f f e r s q u a l i t y a t a p r i c e t h a t ' s h a r d t o f i n d i n Rome. This is especially true in a neighborhood that bor- ders on the Vatican and is otherwise known as an area for the wealthy and the elite, not to mention the tourists passing on their way to the V a t i c a n e v e r y d a y o f t h e year. Roberto told me that t h i s i s a c t u a l l y a h i s t o r i c strategic decision. The bar not only brings people into the store, but it also cre- ates a constant circulation of clients inside. Castroni is also famous for their gelato, e s p e c i a l l y t h e i r c o f f e e " g r a n i t a " d u r i n g t h e h o t Roman summer. F o r m e , C a s t r o n i h a s become much more than the i n t e r n a t i o n a l f o o d s t o r e across the road from home. Castroni is my morning caf- feine fix, served by Rome's most adorable baristas who haven't forgotten what old f a s h i o n e d g o o d m a n n e r s a n d p e r s o n a l s e r v i c e i s about. Castroni is my go-to p l a c e f o r e v e r y - d a y a n d gourmet ingredients. It is also my "pick me up" when I'm having a bad day. It's where I go for a little chat and a guaranteed smile. I h a v e a w a n d e r t h r o u g h , enjoy a coffee, say hello to staff that now feel like life- l o n g f r i e n d s , l o o k a t t h e many shelves taking in all that is on offer and see if I c a n s p o t a n y t h i n g n e w . I may not have "needed" any- thing when I walked in, but y o u c a n b e t I d o n ' t o f t e n l e a v e e m p t y h a n d e d ( I mean, without that famous yellow Castroni logo shop- ping bag). T o d a y , C a s t r o n i a l s o offers an online shopping service and shipments are made daily throughout not o n l y I t a l y , b u t a l s o o v e r - seas. Castroni's coffee can also be shipped to Canada and the US and their web- site can be visited in Italian or English. Castroni's success surely lies in setting trends and not following them. Our shop- ping high streets are so often filled with chain stores offer- ing an impersonal service that it's refreshingly com- forting to have a store like t h i s i n t h e neighborhood. Castroni has not only become a house- hold name in Rome, but it'll always be associated with excellence, from its humble beginnings to the incredible f a m i l y b u s i n e s s t h a t i t i s t o d a y : m a k e s u r e y o u include it on the itinerary for your next visit to Rome. Continued from page 20 LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Shopping at Castroni (Photo: Toni Brancatisano) A selection of Italian and international candy at Castroni (Photo: Toni Brancatisano)

• Cover