"For sheer sensory enjoyment, few everyday experiences can compete with a good cup of coffee."    -Ernesto Illy

Coffee is more than a drink. It is part of our culture and Italians take it very seriously.

Illy coffee is a combination of the best varieties of Arabica from nine different countries creating a single, unique, perfect blend of coffee for both brewed and espresso preparation.

Illy has developed a unique relationship with their growers.  Illy's agronomists and technicians comb four different continents searching for Arabica bean growers. These growers then go through Illy's University of Coffee, which provides 80 years of coffee experience and wisdom. Once they can guarantee the quality of the beans being produced, Illy then pays them a premium amount that accounts for that greater cost and effort required to achieve superior quality.  Andrea Illy, himself, visits several farms a year personally in their quest.

Illy coffee is not only about empowering third-world countries' growers, but about leveraging the latest technology: each single coffee bean is photographed and selected by machines moving faster than the human eye leaving out any imperfect beans that could jeopardize the purity of their blend in their pursuit of perfection.

This is all done to provide that special gourmet blend of coffee that Illy has become known for. 

"Coffee is about pleasure. Everything we do must be consistent with the idea of pleasure."    -Andrea Illy

Illy designs their cafes to mirror the traditional Italian coffee bar experience. Illy's signature blend of coffee is served by highly trained baristas schooled at their University to deliver a precisely accurate espresso or any of their other specialty beverages.  Each store is unique and combines both art and the goodness of their coffee, but share a sleek modern environment decked out with their signature red and white color palette and a high-end coffee bar.  Illy's love of art is on full display in their stores, such as their celebrity-designed coffee cups being displayed as a huge chandelier.  Each one of their locations' design emanates the exclusivity that is Illy, but also embraces Illy's founder Francesco Illy's view: "Coffee inspires socializing, friendship, and stimulating conversation, and therefore, one should never drink coffee alone."

Illy has been using Zaniboni Lighting's bespoke line to achieve that envisioned exclusivity.

"We believe we can sustain our positioning independent because we are a niche player; super, super, super-specialized in the super-premium quality."    -Andrea Illy