told me that the expansion of the company must be rooted in its rich heritage, thus the rolling out of their coffee shops will proceed slowly and organically. Today, more than 134 years since the company's inception, in a different time and place, the Souto family still follows the family's philosophy that the best coffee is achieved through excellent quality beans and roasting perfection, From its state-of-the-art facility in Miami, the Souto family fuses technology and tradition, producing more than 12 internationally-popular coffee brands in the style of days gone by. The sixth generation of the Souto family is at the helm of Rowland, which underwent a rebirth of its own following the third generation of the Souto family's relocation from Cuba.
Now celebrating its 82nd year as the world's leading and most recognizable espresso coffee brand, the company is moving mightily to bridge the gap between generations of its loyalists and newly-initiated fans (like me) while reawakening the traditional Latin and European coffee break. My sister, Ann Sowers, recently told me of her visit to Bustelo's first flagship store at the elegant Gansevoort Hotel in South Miami. Going from the bodega to the mainstream arena has not been easy, but the plain yellow and red can or brick with the potent, inexpensive blend seems to be weathering it well. In 1975 they reached out beyond Florida and opened a New Jersey distribution center. By 1957, he bought the 'Pilon' brand from a company called Rowland and established a Hialeah roasting plant with three employees. As each son reached driving age, he outfitted him with an old Beetle to help with the deliveries. Here he found a local roaster to replicate the family's unique blend and, with a few thousand dollars and the help of his wife of 68 years, Haydee, started selling their Cuban-style coffee door to door from an old Volkswagen. Jose "Pepe" Souto and his father came to Florida in 1960 from Cuba after losing the successful coffee business they had built there starting in 1865.
Founded in the Bronx in the 1920s by Gregario Bustelo, the company was bought in 2000 by Rowland, a family-owned firm in Miami/Doral.
Shortly thereafter, an article about this Bustelo coffee appeared in the sunday New York Times, and I was propelled to explore it further with the help of Chantal Meza of Rowland Coffee Roasters of Miami, which owns the brand. Whitened with a dribble of half-and-half, it was such a revelation taste-wise that I have never gone back to my old standby of French roast from Trader Joe's. When a friend sent me some brick-like, vacuum-packed, yellow and red packages of Cafe Bustelo and cans of its Bustelo Cool, I was intrigued and curious enough to immediately brew a steaming hot pot of the rich espresso blend.
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