Latest news with #JonathanMorris
Sydney Morning Herald
12-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
How to make Italians panic? Increase the price of espresso
Such price controls 'protected neighbourhood bars for a long time', said Jonathan Morris, a coffee historian at the University of Hertfordshire in England. 'That's why no one really ever set up coffee chains in Italy.' (Starbucks actually did, but did not open its first Italian outpost until 2018, 47 years after the company's founding.) Even after the controls were lifted, prices remained low, with few bar owners willing to test whether higher prices would push their customers toward the nearest competitor, usually no more than a block or two away. 'There is a kind of communism,' Morello said, 'when actually one should pay for the quality one receives.' The make-up of the traditional Italian espresso, a brew of darkly roasted arabica and robusta beans, also helped keep prices low, Morris said. As arabica bean prices rose, some Italian producers increased the proportion of cheaper robusta beans in their coffee blends, but that formula was no longer as effective when robusta prices also surged, he said. An espresso in Italy averaged €1.16 (about $2.06) as of the latest analysis this year by Assoutenti, a nonprofit consumer rights organisation, with the lowest average prices found in southern Italy. The national average in January was up about 11.5 per cent from two years earlier, the analysis found, though Italy still sells some of the cheapest espressos in Western Europe. Coffee bean prices have come down somewhat from their peak earlier in the year. But they remain higher than before the surge, and experts fear extreme weather will continue to shrink global supply and keep prices high for roasters, bars and consumers. US tariffs on coffee-producing countries, like Brazil, could drive up prices further. The traditional Italian coffee bar relies on coffee sales for about 30 per cent of its revenues, according to Luciano Sbraga, deputy director for the Federation of Italian Public Establishments, a trade association for the food and hospitality sector. Some owners have found it is more profitable to also sell food, for breakfast, lunch or an aperitivo dinner known as apericena, rather than just coffee. 'Many bars are becoming more similar to restaurants,' he said. That was the choice Consilvio made when he bought and renovated his bar, in a stately plaza with a Parisian air in central Turin. The previous owner had sold espressos at the counter for less than a euro apiece, a price that Consilvio said simply 'can't work'. He sells espressos at his bar, Cicinin, for €2 for table service on the plaza and €1.30 at the counter because nearby bars charge €1.30. (He had wanted to charge €1.50.) Consilvio, who says he drinks seven to eight espressos a day, lamented that espresso machines had become standard in offices and businesses – 'Hairdressers have them,' he scoffed – so fewer customers go to bars. When they do, they demand 'the perfect coffee,' he grumbled, 'not too bitter'. In a sign of how much the industry has changed, a capsule coffee machine by Lavazza, the giant Italian coffee producer, has now taken its place at the company's museum in Turin, alongside revered machines that helped create modern espresso. Executives from Lavazza and Illy, the Italian coffee producer based in Trieste, have warned for more than a year that higher coffee bean prices are most likely here to stay, presenting challenges to everyone from farmers outside Italy to large companies to mom-and-pop coffee shops to consumers. At Gran Caffè Gambrinus, a cafe in Naples established in 1860, an espresso at the counter now costs €1.80, up from €1.50, said Massimiliano Rosati, one of the owners. The cafe can get away with that price, he says, because for a tourist who comes to Naples, the increase makes no difference. That is often not the case for traditional family-run coffee bars, which tend to compete on price. At Giolitti near the Italian parliament in Rome, where King Charles III and Queen Camilla stopped by for a gelato in April, Giovanna Giolitti said she and her brothers recently raised the price of an espresso at the counter to €1.30 from €1.20. Coffee bean prices justified an even bigger hike, she said, but that would have hurt locals who have come to the bar for years. 'Coffee is something that everyone drinks every day,' said Giolitti, who is among the fourth generation of Giolittis to run the bar. In Sant'Eustachio il Caffè near the Pantheon, on a sunny spring Saturday, every outdoor table was full and a line of customers snaked out the door. At one table, two friends, Filippo Facchinetti and Gabriele Bonfanti, shook their heads when their two espressos came out to €9. Bonfanti, who lives in Rome, said he had started making more coffee at home, in part because of pricing but also because he found that some bars use too bitter and dark a roast for his liking. Facchinetti, who lives in Genoa, called two espressos a day his 'bare minimum', though that day he had already had four, and some days he has six. Loading Even recent mark-ups, he believes, will not chase away a nation with a serious coffee craving. 'It's too important,' he said, adding that the Italian espresso ritual 'won't ever change'.
The Age
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
How to make Italians panic? Increase the price of espresso
Such price controls 'protected neighbourhood bars for a long time', said Jonathan Morris, a coffee historian at the University of Hertfordshire in England. 'That's why no one really ever set up coffee chains in Italy.' (Starbucks actually did, but did not open its first Italian outpost until 2018, 47 years after the company's founding.) Even after the controls were lifted, prices remained low, with few bar owners willing to test whether higher prices would push their customers toward the nearest competitor, usually no more than a block or two away. 'There is a kind of communism,' Morello said, 'when actually one should pay for the quality one receives.' The make-up of the traditional Italian espresso, a brew of darkly roasted arabica and robusta beans, also helped keep prices low, Morris said. As arabica bean prices rose, some Italian producers increased the proportion of cheaper robusta beans in their coffee blends, but that formula was no longer as effective when robusta prices also surged, he said. An espresso in Italy averaged €1.16 (about $2.06) as of the latest analysis this year by Assoutenti, a nonprofit consumer rights organisation, with the lowest average prices found in southern Italy. The national average in January was up about 11.5 per cent from two years earlier, the analysis found, though Italy still sells some of the cheapest espressos in Western Europe. Coffee bean prices have come down somewhat from their peak earlier in the year. But they remain higher than before the surge, and experts fear extreme weather will continue to shrink global supply and keep prices high for roasters, bars and consumers. US tariffs on coffee-producing countries, like Brazil, could drive up prices further. The traditional Italian coffee bar relies on coffee sales for about 30 per cent of its revenues, according to Luciano Sbraga, deputy director for the Federation of Italian Public Establishments, a trade association for the food and hospitality sector. Some owners have found it is more profitable to also sell food, for breakfast, lunch or an aperitivo dinner known as apericena, rather than just coffee. 'Many bars are becoming more similar to restaurants,' he said. That was the choice Consilvio made when he bought and renovated his bar, in a stately plaza with a Parisian air in central Turin. The previous owner had sold espressos at the counter for less than a euro apiece, a price that Consilvio said simply 'can't work'. He sells espressos at his bar, Cicinin, for €2 for table service on the plaza and €1.30 at the counter because nearby bars charge €1.30. (He had wanted to charge €1.50.) Consilvio, who says he drinks seven to eight espressos a day, lamented that espresso machines had become standard in offices and businesses – 'Hairdressers have them,' he scoffed – so fewer customers go to bars. When they do, they demand 'the perfect coffee,' he grumbled, 'not too bitter'. In a sign of how much the industry has changed, a capsule coffee machine by Lavazza, the giant Italian coffee producer, has now taken its place at the company's museum in Turin, alongside revered machines that helped create modern espresso. Executives from Lavazza and Illy, the Italian coffee producer based in Trieste, have warned for more than a year that higher coffee bean prices are most likely here to stay, presenting challenges to everyone from farmers outside Italy to large companies to mom-and-pop coffee shops to consumers. At Gran Caffè Gambrinus, a cafe in Naples established in 1860, an espresso at the counter now costs €1.80, up from €1.50, said Massimiliano Rosati, one of the owners. The cafe can get away with that price, he says, because for a tourist who comes to Naples, the increase makes no difference. That is often not the case for traditional family-run coffee bars, which tend to compete on price. At Giolitti near the Italian parliament in Rome, where King Charles III and Queen Camilla stopped by for a gelato in April, Giovanna Giolitti said she and her brothers recently raised the price of an espresso at the counter to €1.30 from €1.20. Coffee bean prices justified an even bigger hike, she said, but that would have hurt locals who have come to the bar for years. 'Coffee is something that everyone drinks every day,' said Giolitti, who is among the fourth generation of Giolittis to run the bar. In Sant'Eustachio il Caffè near the Pantheon, on a sunny spring Saturday, every outdoor table was full and a line of customers snaked out the door. At one table, two friends, Filippo Facchinetti and Gabriele Bonfanti, shook their heads when their two espressos came out to €9. Bonfanti, who lives in Rome, said he had started making more coffee at home, in part because of pricing but also because he found that some bars use too bitter and dark a roast for his liking. Facchinetti, who lives in Genoa, called two espressos a day his 'bare minimum', though that day he had already had four, and some days he has six. Loading Even recent mark-ups, he believes, will not chase away a nation with a serious coffee craving. 'It's too important,' he said, adding that the Italian espresso ritual 'won't ever change'.
Business News Wales
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Event Aims to Explore Challenges of Retrofitting Homes for Net Zero
The Regional Learning and Skills Partnership is set to hold an event looking at the challenges of retrofitting. The event – to be held on the May 22 2025 in Parc y Scarlets Llanelli – will focus on the journey towards Net Zero and the challenges and opportunities of bringing existing homes up to new standards and building the new high-quality homes of the future. Jack Sargeant MS, Minister for Culture, Skills, and Social Partnership, will deliver the keynote address. Industry representatives will hear from key stakeholders, experts, and government representatives on how they can be involved in shaping the strategies on the future of sustainable development in South West Wales. Jonathan Morris, Chair of the RLSP Construction Group, will address the Challenging World of Retrofit. This presentation will set the stage for understanding the goals and the complexities involved in achieving them. Welsh Government representatives will take the stage to highlight the opportunities available through the Optimised Retrofit Programme. There will also be an opportunity to hear about upcoming contracts and opportunities in the next 12 months. There will be a breakout session that will focus on the challenges faced in relation to retrofit, actions government should undertake, recommendations for clients, and barriers in tendering for public sector work. Discussions will delve into training and skills issues, identifying gaps, and available funding. The discussion will explore strategies for building long-term relationships to improve workplace skills to meet Net Zero requirements and address barriers to upskilling the workforce.
Fox News
12-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
History Made in Vatican City: Reflecting On the Papal Conclave
Last week, Benjamin had the remarkable opportunity to be in Rome for the Papal Conclave–a historic event with the announcement that Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost would become the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church. Benjamin sits down with theologian and FOX News Contributor Jonathan Morris to reflect on witnessing Pope Leo XIV accept this extraordinary honor in person, and to explore the priorities emerging as he begins leading the Church. Their conversation also turns personal, as Jonathan shares the story behind his decision to leave the priesthood–a difficult choice that ultimately deepened his faith and sense of purpose. Together, they discuss how religion continues to offer people around the world an enduring source of resilience and hope. Follow Benjamin on X: @BenjaminHallFNC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
CTV News
02-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Province to Review Mental Health Act
Vancouver Watch On CTV Morning Live, CMHA BC CEO, Jonathan Morris addresses the provincial review of the Mental Health Act following the Lapu Lapu Day attack.
