CCSU CONNECTED
The new
Coffee connoisseurs marry with modern technology By Kate Callahan ‘14 Two graduates of the School of Business are finding new ways to brew up business. While they may have different business plans, these alums share a winning blend: coffee and Connecticut.
Tradition meets innovation at Saccuzzo’s Coffee Company Innovation is a matter of taste at Saccuzzo’s Coffee Company in Newington. Each singleorigin green bean that comes by way of Central or South America must please the palates of Vincenzo Saccuzzo and his sons Joe, Marco, and David. “We have to like it first, to sell it,” says Joe Saccuzzo, who graduated in 1998. Saccuzzo’s father arrived in the United States from Sicily when he was 22 years old. As the young man attended night school and learned to speak English, he grew disappointed that he couldn’t find a decent espresso to augment his studies. So in the 1980s, he opened his own coffee company. Joe, who lives in Wethersfield, assumed the role of vice president in 2010. “I handle the warehouse operations part of the business — the receiving, testing, and sampling,” says Saccuzzo. “We all have a say in the day-to-day operations and the purchasing of the product, which is paramount. Once we commit to purchasing a certain origin of bean, we’re going to purchase quite a bit.” (Below) Joe Saccuzzo ’98 of Saccuzzo’s Coffee Company. (Photo by Stan Godlewski)
The Saccuzzos, collectively, have discerning taste, which is what keeps their customers loyal. Innovation is in the details, from carefully cleaning the green beans to convection roasting and air-cooling the beans with the Saccuzzos’ own proprietary process. The cleaned beans are stored in a specially engineered silo to prevent breakage, chipping, and loss of flavor. Finally, the beans are packed in a triple-layered bag with one-way degassing valves to lock in the freshness. Saccuzzo notes, “We like customers who like the best products so we can continue offering it.” And customer interest in coffee has risen since the business first opened, Saccuzzo says.
8 – Central Connecticut State University Connected
