CAFE BUSTELO
FROM APARTMENT, TO GLOBAL STAPLE
Café Bustelo was founded by Spanish immigrant Gregorio Menéndez Bustelo in 1928 in East Harlem, New York. Inspired by Cuban coffee’s rich espresso flavor, Bustelo and his wife Angelina began roasting and selling the coffee from their apartment to local restaurants, Spanish language movie theaters, and a growing customer base. After saving enough money from his restaurant job to turn his passion for coffee into a business. Three years later, in 1931, the company expanded by opening the Bustelo Coffee Roasting Company on Fifth Avenue between 113th and 114th Streets, establishing a larger roasting facility and supplying coffee to Latino-owned bodegas throughout the city.
CAFE BUSTELO THROUGH THE YEARS
Later in 1963 Café Bustelo was bought by Tetley, a global tea company who sold it to Beech-Nut shortly after. Café Bustelo went through several ownerships until 2011 when The J.M. Smucker Company acquired the brand, introducing Café Bustelo to an even broader audience while preserving its traditional espresso-style roast and iconic yellow and red packaging. Throughout the 2000s Café Bustelo expanded its product line to include new products, including single use coffee pods, whole bean coffee, instant espresso, and ready to drink canned beverages. Today Café Bustelo’s bold and delicious coffee has become a well known household name sold globally and loved by millions.
