History

The evolution of the Hausbrandt Group over time.

When the history of a city blends with a great entrepreneurial project

Trieste, 1892

The modern era of coffee started in 1892 in Trieste

Trieste is historically recognized as important trading hub for coffee and a melting pot of the Middle-European culture, the city where the origins of quality coffee tradition are found.

In such a context, the navy Captain Hermann Hausbrandt, following his entrepreneurial vision and resolution, started a process that has led to the global spread of high-quality coffee. The same undertaking was later carried on by the Zanetti family, in particular by Virginio first and then by his son Martino, who’s outstanding figure is famous in the art and culture universe too. He has inherited the mission and founding values of the Company, and has kept promoting excellence in coffee production and distribution.

The Hausbrandt Group not only represents, today, a deep-rooted tradition, but also keeps working to perpetuate its values.

Quality and Consistency

The Pioneers

People who made the difference in the Group’s history.

Hermann Hausbrandt

The Founder

Hermann Hausbrandt was a Captain in the merchant navy and a very talented person who founded, in 1892 in Trieste, the company that still has his surname. His pioneering vision was to introduce the sale of pre-roasted coffee beans, inspired by the German experience and thanks to his invention of the first “industrial” roasting machine. After the war, he had the idea of selling processed blends in sealed metal containers that were packaged inside the production plant, which earned him a place in the global history of coffee. After Hermann Hausbrandt, the company passed into the hands of the eldest son Ermanno, his brother Robert, and son-in-law Federico Dietrich until it passed to the Zanetti family.

Marcello Dudovich

Communication

Marcello Dudovich, born in Trieste in 1878 in a Dalmatian family, was among the artists who led the way in the modern advertising poster art in Italy, together with celebrated figures like Leonetto Cappiello, Adolf Hohenstein, Giovanni Maria Mataloni and Leopoldo Metlicovitz. The iconic “old couple” drawn by Dudovich became the symbol of a new communication style for Hausbrandt, which represented examples of “coffee time” in daily life. That innovative concept was extended to the packaging and the first company vehicles, marking the start of a marketing campaign that was ahead of its time.

Luciano Biban

Creativity

The ‘60s saw the origination, from the creativity of Luciano Biban, of the original and exclusive “Moka”, which was the first Hausbrandt animated logo. Biban was born in Venice but then lived in Friuli Venezia Giulia region, he was one of the most prominent figures of Friulian graphic design, able to match advertising and art.

Virginio Zanetti

The Traveler

During the post-war economic expansion, Virginio Zanetti, innovator and sponsor of the new entrepreneurial movements of the time, personally promoted the establishment of important coffee roasting plants in various cities, most of which are still operating today. He soon became the main Italian importer of green coffee. Among his clients there were several industrial coffee businesses of the Country, and his warehouses in the port of Trieste could guarantee a constant availability of product, connected to a widespread logistics allowing continuous rotation of around 100,000 green coffee sacks.

Martino Zanetti

The Soul

Martino Zanetti was born on February 4th, 1944 in Treviso, during a bombing by the allies. He came from a family of Venetian artists and merchants, who bequeathed to him both intellectual and physical strength, and a combative spirit. After serving in the army as an Official in the Mountain Troops (Alpini), Martino decide to start his own independent entrepreneurial project, in the sector of specialty coffee. In 1968, he started his business with a small roasting unit in the Marca (Treviso province), focusing on quality and taste. The company grew significantly under his leading action, culminating with the acquisition of the historical brand “Caffé Hausbrandt”. Thanks to his approach, Hausbrandt became a worldwide reference point, a company that managed to match tradition and modernity by adopting cutting edge technology in roasting processes and research.

The timeline

A Group inspired by passion, perseverance and consistency

1892

Vision

The “Specialità Caffè Hausbrandt” enters in the market. Hausbrandt becomes the first company to offer processed blends in sealed metal containers that were packaged inside the production plant.

1940

Resilience

Hausbrandt weathers the hardest moments of WWII, preserving its own identity unchanged. The company becomes the leading Italian roasting industry, maintaining its historical production plants all over the Country, which are symbols of its continuity and solidity

1968

Intuition

Martino Zanetti lays the first stone of what would become one of the most iconic businesses in the coffee industry. The dreamer entrepreneur decides to focus on enhancing the specialty coffee blends: a sphere which had not been much explored before. It is an innovative choice representing a clean cut away from the past, oriented towards a new kind of consumer, namely one who cares about product research and demands fine quality.

1980

Evolution

In the late ‘80s, thanks to the entrepreneurial vision of president Martino Zanetti, the historical brand of Trieste “Caffè Hausbrandt” joins the Group. The famous “Moka” undergoes an elegant restyling, evolving into a logo with finer lines and more intense red and golden colors. The new design gives new energy to the logo, so as to represent the defining values of the brand in a more captivating and contemporary way.

1997

Col Sandago

Col Sandago owes its name to a hill in Conegliano - Valdobbiadene area where the vineyards of the Col Sandago winery are located. The territory, characterized by low hills and steep slopes, gives its contribution to the production of excellent wine. In 1997, Martino Zanetti acquires the Col Snadago winery, which specializes in producing “Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG". Following his business intuition, the production of Wildbacher, a vine variety originally from Styria, is added in the winery. Col Sandago embodies the values of quality, passion and innovation of its founder and of the company, which makes it an integral part of the prestigious Hausbrandt family.

2000

Going global

By means of a well structured and widespread logistics network, Hausbrandt ensures international distribution of its coffee. The excellence of the brand comes from careful selection of raw materials and quality-oriented production processes, and has empowered Hausbrandt Trieste 1892 S.p.A. to succeed in the coffee industry, expanding out of Italy and establishing businesses in Austria and Slovenia.

2000

Theresianer beer

In 1766, Empress Maria Theresa granted the first authorization to produce beer to a factory in Trieste, which was established exactly in the ancient hamlet Teresiano, named after the Empress herself. In 2000, Martino Zanetti, who had already strong ties with the Middle-European culture, due to his position as president of the Hausbrandt roasting company of Trieste, founded the brand Theresianer in the brewery of Nervesa della Battaglia, Treviso province, thereby consolidating the link between Middle-European culture and innovation.

2017

Growth

In 2017, Hausbrandt inaugurated a modern logistics hub designed to streamline the management and storage of products, bringing most of the logistics activities of the Group in the innovative premises of a single location. Such a decision has been strategic to ensure efficiency, quality and timeliness in the service.

2020

Martin des Orsyn

The project Martin des Orsyn springs from continuous research aiming at excellence, which is typical of the Hausbrandt Group, and allowed the company to access a new market and new opportunities for business development. The Martin des Orsyn Champagne are the outcome of a lucky match between the Group’s vision and will and the know-how of a small “cave de la Montagne” in Reims.

2020

Zerocinquanta beer

Zerocinquanta is a collection of beers with rich and strong taste, inspired by the Shakespearian characters. Zerocinquanta addresses young consumers looking for quality beer, with three unfiltered beers with personality and a 0.5 l format. The brand is young, reflects the values of the Group and is characterized by continuous research and attention to create innovative products, which is an significant part of the business identity.

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2022

Theresianer Gin

The Theresianer Gin is an innovative product that carries years of time-tested brewing activity inside, mixed with the elegance of a cool but timeless spirit. After an accurate period of study and research to obtain the quality level required to a Hausbrandt product, here is a gin that leverages a centuries-old know-how heritage. Each plant is selected with care to create a perfect balance between hops, citrus fruits and juniper, with a view to offering a unique and refined sensory experience.