Segafredo Espresso bar reinvents the coffee shop culture

Who says a coffee place should only sell coffee and pastries? At Segafredo Espresso Bar, they’ve broken the coffee-shop barrier by serving not just full meals, but also cocktails and pica-pica.

Ernesto Fajardo, president of Liberty Ventures Inc., which owns the franchise for Segafredo in the Philippines, says the Philippine franchise actually pioneered the serving of full meals in some of the Italian coffee’s chain of outlets worldwide.

"We told the people at Segafredo in Italy that it would be difficult to pay our rent if we only sold coffee," says Fajardo.

While Segafredo in San Francisco sells pizza and pasta, the Philippine outlets offer more with its range of pica-pica and cocktails. Apart from a selection of beer, soft drinks, juices and mixes, Segafredo has a number of digestives, spirits and cocktails. To go with this extensive list of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are a selection of antipasti and bar chow, along with a complement of soups and sandwiches, salads, pasta, pizza, entrees and desserts.

"Of course, we had to ask permission to sell full meals," Fajardo explains. "So long as we offer both authentic Italian dishes, alongside our fusion choices, we were given a free hand in designing our menu. The anchor of the restaurant is still our coffee, which is Segafredo coffee."

The base of all Segafredo coffee concoctions is espresso. All hot and cold coffee-based beverages use this as a basic ingredient. So, when we decided to try its Caffé Shakerato, a tall glass of cold espresso, we were getting Segafredo espresso with ice. It is the purest coffee you can possibly drink.

There is a misconception that espresso’s flavorful taste means that it is also more potent than a regular cup of brewed coffee. Not so, says Fajardo. To make espresso coffee, you need the right equipment to produce it. And at all Segafredo outlets here, the latest espresso machines from Segafredo are used. A number of factors affect the making of the perfect espresso: The perfect machine, the right grind of coffee and the correct temperature of hot water. If the grind is finer, you need faster and stronger pressure to make the perfect cup of espresso.

Hot water re-roasts the coffee grinds. A drip coffee maker extracts more of the coffee at the expense of overcooking the roast. Hot water pools inside the drip container and roasts the coffee grinds again. It also releases more caffeine into the coffee. An espresso machine avoids this.

"Espresso has a stronger flavor, but it has more body," he says. "It is an acquired taste."

While Segafredo may price its coffee a bit higher than popular coffee places, Fajardo says coffee lovers will eventually graduate to Segafredo’s coffee drinks.

"We thank the popular coffee chains for introducing young adults to coffee," he admits. "So many people are now exposed to coffee. We feel that eventually as they learn to appreciate coffee better, they will graduate to different kinds of coffee drinks, like espresso. And that’s what we have to offer."

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Segafredo Espresso Bar has branches at the ground floor of Greenbelt 2 and at the corner of Valero and H.V. Dela Costa Sts., Salcedo Village in Makati City. For inquiries, call 845-3610 and 845-3546.