Café Bustelo
| A Café Bustelo coffee can | |
| Founded | 1928 in The Bronx, New York, United States |
|---|---|
| Founder | Gregorio Menendez Bustelo |
| Parent | The J.M. Smucker Company |
| Website | www |
Café Bustelo is an American coffee brand owned by the J.M. Smucker Company.
History
Gregorio Menendez Bustelo (born June 21, 1894) traveled from his native Spain to Cuba as a young man, and moved to the United States in 1917.[1] He founded the Café Bustelo coffee company in The Bronx, New York in 1928.[2] His product became popular among Cuban exiles who preferred to prepare it in espresso coffeemakers rather than the then-common method of filtering it through a coffee "sock".[3] The company remained successful throughout the 20th century, and was known for its distinctive yellow and red cans.[2]
Bustelo gained a particular cachet among artistic and hipster subcultures in the 1990s and 2000s. It is referenced by name in the song "Today 4 U" from the 1996 musical Rent.[2]
Café Bustelo was purchased by Rowland Coffee Roasters of Miami in 2000.[2] Rowland was acquired by the Cuban-American Souto family the same year, and sold to the J.M. Smucker Company in 2011.[3]
References
- ^ White, J.T. (1969). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. p. 346. Retrieved May 4, 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d Sisario, Ben (April 24, 2009). "Out of the Bodega and Onto the Scene". The New York Times. Indio, California. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ a b Rodriguez, Francisco; Rodriguez, Leonardo; Verdeja, Sam (January 20, 2012). "Entrepreneurs: The Pioneers". In Verdeja, Sam; Martinez, Guillermo (eds.). Cubans, an Epic Journey. Reedy Press. pp. 283–284. ISBN 9781935806202. Retrieved May 4, 2017 – via Google Books.