Lavazza Celebrates 130 Years of Passion and Innovation: From a Small Grocery in Turin to a Global Coffee and Social Legacy

This year, Lavazza marks 130 years since its founding — a journey that began in 1895 in a small grocery store in Turin, where Luigi Lavazza, driven by curiosity and care, began experimenting with coffee blends. What started as one man hand-selecting beans has evolved into a global company fueled by tradition, innovation, and a deeply rooted commitment to quality, people, and the planet.

Though Lavazza has grown into a global group, its headquarters — Nuvola — remains not far from where it all began. Over the decades, Lavazza has celebrated countless milestones, but its mission remains the same: to always do better. To do more. To lead responsibly.

To commemorate its 130th anniversary, Lavazza has launched a special retrospective titled “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – A Tradition of Innovation”, showcasing iconic moments and values that have defined the brand across time. From heritage and creativity to community and design, the curated exhibits include:

• A City in Search of an Author – Turin, Capital of Business Culture

• Inspiring Chefs – Revolutionizing Traditions

• Homecoming – Journey to the Roots of Coffee

• The Porcelain Queen – The Espresso Coffee Cup

• From Factory to Nuvola – The Rising Light of Turin’s Aurora

• The Memory of Spaces – SANTOMMASO 10

• Beyond the Alps – Lavazza Coffee Without Borders

• The Sustainability Perspective – Views on Lavazza’s Origins

• Coffee School – Spreading Espresso Culture Globally

• Lavazza Readings – Corporate Publishing and Culture

• Styling Coffee – Evolution of Packaging and Marketing

• Lavazza Loves Design – The Shape of Coffee

• Generations and Regenerations – Horizons from Elsewhere

• Amigos, che profumo! – South America in a Coffee Cup

• Lavazza Calendars – Over 25 Years of Iconic Photography

• A Women’s History of Coffee – Social Roles and Heritage

• Lavazza Picture Cards – An Encyclopedia in a Cup

• Lavazza & Sport – Supporting Great Feats with Passion

The display includes rare artifacts like a 1950s ground coffee tin, original blend notebooks from 1932, commemorative stamps and logos, and new innovations such as the 2025 Tablì capsule-free coffee tabs. All reflect the continuous evolution of Lavazza’s coffee identity.

Coffee and Tennis: A Perfect Match

Since 2011, Lavazza has also maintained a deep connection with the world of tennis — a partnership built on shared values like precision, ritual, excellence, and global appeal.

The journey began on the grass courts of Wimbledon and expanded to Roland Garros in 2015, then to the US Open and Australian Open — making Lavazza the only brand to partner with all four Grand Slam tournaments up to 2020. In 2021, Lavazza deepened this commitment as the Platinum Partner of the Nitto ATP Finals in its hometown, Turin, continuing through 2025.

The brand’s global reach extended further in 2023 with its sponsorship of the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the only coffee brand present at this major Chinese tennis event. In 2024, Lavazza also partnered with Mutua Madrid Open, Spain’s most important tennis tournament, reinforcing its focus on international expansion and excellence.

As Giuseppe Lavazza puts it: “A good coffee is like a perfect passing shot — it requires precision, attention to detail, and a pursuit of excellence. Coffee, like tennis, has tradition and a ritual.”

Through this lasting relationship with tennis, Lavazza has served over 10 million cups of espresso across 12 years of tournaments, delivering the true Italian coffee experience to millions of fans. Among Lavazza’s brand ambassadors is Jannik Sinner, the youngest Italian ever to break into the ATP Top 10. His spectacular 2024 season featured 73 wins out of 79 matches, including three victories at the Davis Cup Finals in Málaga — a shining symbol of focus and flair.

To enhance fan experiences, Lavazza has hosted activations like the A Modo Mio Home of Masters at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, with appearances from top chefs, athletes, and entertainers celebrating excellence in all its forms.

A Cup of Learning: Brewing Opportunity

In addition to sport, Lavazza champions social responsibility — most notably through its flagship education initiative, A Cup of Learning.

Launched in 2017, A Cup of Learning is a free global training program dedicated to empowering youth and refugees with skills to work in the coffee sector. Beyond vocational training, the initiative spreads coffee culture and helps young people turn passion into profession.

The program offers two tailored tracks:

• One focused on green coffee, covering sensory analysis, processing techniques, origin-based tastings, and blend creation.

• The other trains students in espresso preparation, from grinding and tamping to extraction methods and latte art — treating the cup as a canvas for flavor and creativity.

Delivered by Lavazza’s expert trainers in coffee-producing countries and at the Lavazza Training Center in Turin, the program is hands-on, immersive, and transformative.

Since its founding, A Cup of Learning has trained over 600 individuals across Italy, Brazil, India, Haiti, Peru, Albania, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the Ivory Coast, Cuba, Honduras, Australia, the UK, and most recently, the United States. In Italy, it supports the “A.A.A. – Welcomes, Approaches, Accompanies” project in partnership with Rete Italiana di Cultura Popolare, targeting asylum seekers and local youth in Turin’s historic Aurora district, where Lavazza was born and still operates.

UNHCR Recognition

In 2024, Lavazza was once again honored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with the “Welcome. Working for Refugee Integration” award. This recognition celebrates the company’s exceptional efforts in providing employment opportunities to refugees — many of whom continued working at the same cafés where they trained.

Since 2017, this national initiative has helped more than 50,000 refugees find jobs in Italy, with A Cup of Learning standing as one of its most successful corporate programs.

New Chapter: Naples Stop

The most recent milestone came in Naples, where Lavazza collaborated with CESVI’s House of Smiles to train eight vulnerable youth at the Lavazza Training Center in Torre del Greco. Participants learned directly from Lavazza professionals and graduated with official certificates — taking a vital step toward employment and dignity.

CESVI’s “Houses of Smiles” provide safety, education, and support for at-risk children and teenagers, and Lavazza’s involvement brings not just training, but renewed hope.

A Message for the Future

Reflecting on this 130-year journey, Giuseppe Lavazza shared: “These have been years of change, challenges, and growth. But above all, years we have lived together. A company, first and foremost, is made of people. Today, we are over 5,500 individuals across the world. Our results come from a unique blend: a meeting of stories, knowledge, and perspectives. This diversity, rooted in a shared vision, is our greatest strength — and our guide to build the future with confidence and determination.”