Founded in 1948 and for a long time synonymous with high quality Neapolitan coffee, Caffè Passalacqua is experiencing one of the most important stages of its history. Based in Casavatore, at the gates of Naples, the company has crossed over in the last decade a transformation that has brought it from deeply rooted reality in Campania to an international brand present in dozens of foreign markets. Francesco Lo Vasto, Chief Financial Officer & Strategy Director of the company, in an interview with New Yorker.
When Lo Vasto joined the company in 2016, Passalacqua was already an iconic name in the coffee industry. The brand’s reputation, however, still did not match its economic dimension.
“It was a company that billed less than €7 million. This year we will exceed 21 million euros of turnover, so we tripled the size of the company”.
The growth of the last ten years has been supported by important investments in technology, production capacity and industrial organization.
“We have replaced all our production lines with more modern and faster machinery, expanded industrial plants and improved our overall operational capacity, but continuing to stay in Casavatore”.
At the heart of this development there was the belief that a brand like Passalacqua could not remain limited to its local market.
“A brand so strong and such a good coffee could not remain confined to Campania”.
From this conviction, investment in new distribution channels was born, in large distribution, in e-commerce and especially in the Horeca sector, which still remains the heart of the company’s business.
Within a few years, international markets have become the main growth engine of society.
“When I arrived in 2016, export was less than 15 percent of turnover. This year we will probably exceed 50 percent”.
The company first expanded to Europe, then making the most important jump overseas. Participation in the Fancy Food Show in New York in 2024 marked a turning point.
“We were literally overwhelmed by industry operators and visitors. At that time we discovered something extraordinary: the legacy of Passalacqua in the United States was enormous”.
The response of the Italian-American community has convinced the company to accelerate investments in the US market. From that awareness was born, in April 2025, Passalacqua USA Corporation, along with a dedicated logistics and commercial structure.
The company opened a warehouse in New Jersey, developed products specifically designed for the American market and built a network of local partners in Florida and in the area between New York and New Jersey.
The American expansion of the company was built around three main elements: “the Passalacqua brand, the city of Naples and all that Neapolitan culture represents in the world”.
The phrase chosen for the American packaging of the company perfectly summarizes this identity:
“The Original Neapolitan Blend Since 1948”.
From this year’s Fancy Food Show, Passalacqua expects “especially networking. The fairs serve first of all to build relationships that, over time, strengthen the brand and create opportunities.
But there is also another very important aspect: to be present for customers who have already chosen us. Today we have many customers across New York, New Jersey and Florida. For them, seeing the company present, meeting people coming from Italy and speaking directly with us has a huge value”.
The Vast summarizes this concept with a precise word: “intimacy”.
«In the world of coffee, everyone says they have the best product. What really makes the difference is the human relationship. The intimacy with the customer is not built through advertising or with a social post. It is built with the presence, with the shared time and with the experiences lived together”.
L’articolo Caffè Passalacqua: from the historic Neapolitan roasting to the global protagonist of coffee proviene da IlNewyorkese.
