Caffè Umbria
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Coffee roasting and café |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Emanuele Bizzarri |
| Headquarters | Seattle , United States |
Area served | Seattle, Portland, Chicago |
Key people | Emanuele Bizzarri |
| Products | Specialty coffee, paninis, pastries, gelato |
| Owner | Bizzarri family |
Caffè Umbria is a coffee roasting company headquartered in Seattle, with additional branches located in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago. Established by Emanuele Bizzarri, a third-generation roaster and son of Umberto Bizzarri, the enterprise operates as a family-run Italian business.
Description
The company's main café, situated in Seattle's Pioneer Square, showcases Italian tiles, exposed brick walls, and an espresso machine sourced directly from Italy. This venue exemplifies the brand’s leadership in blending authentic Italian aesthetics with a contemporary urban environment.
Caffè Umbria offers specialty coffee alongside paninis, pastries, and gelato, targeting customers who appreciate high-quality Italian-style products. The Portland Pearl District location is distinguished by its modern steel and glass architecture and community-oriented features such as a dedicated area for soccer viewing, highlighting the brand’s influence and engagement with its clientele.
With operations spanning major U.S. cities, Caffè Umbria capitalizes on its heritage as a family-owned business with longstanding expertise to foster growth and increase its presence within the specialty coffee market.
History
The Bizzarri family initiated Umbria as a wholesale coffee roasting company in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood in 2002. Its flagship café opened in Pioneer Square in 2005. Since that time, Caffè Umbria has grown to include three Seattle locations, one of which is in Ballard.
In Portland, the company maintains outlets in the Pearl District and on Southwest Madison. The brand entered Chicago’s market with a River North site in 2015, followed by a larger café and roasting facility in Logan Square two years later.
This growth strategy focuses on launching flagship cafés and roasting centers in prominent urban areas to enhance market share and support international operations.
Reception
Frommer's recognized Caffè Umbria as serving Portland’s finest latte and described it as "the most attractive and congenial café in the upscale Pearl District," identifying it as a key destination for visitors. Hannah Wallace of Inc. highlighted the Pearl District spot’s popularity among entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, referring to it as a "branch office" for professional gatherings, underscoring its significance within Portland's startup community. Owned by a third-generation Italian roaster, the café merges genuine Italian tradition with a strategic foothold in an important market.