Caffe Trieste

 ( Coffeehouses And Cafés In California ) 

In the United States, Giotta missed the espresso and the coffeehouses of Trieste in Italy. A cozy central European Habsburg Coffee culture had established itself there. American coffee culture of the 1950s focused on instant coffee that people made at home; people would purchase pre-ground beans that typically lacked flavor. By contrast, Trieste had a rich cafe history. It had been a part of both the Austria-Hungary and Italy, and was known for its blend of Italian, , Balkans, Greece, Venice, and Jews cultural influences. It was also known for its literary residents, such as James Joyce and Italo Svevo. The city of Trieste itself was also famous for its coffee. In 1719, Trieste had become a "free port" under Hapsburg law, and it became a key point in the trade of coffee beans from the Middle East to Europe. Cafes began to sprout up in Trieste as early as 1748; some historic cafes, such as Cafe Tommaseo (founded in 1830) and Caffè degli Specchi (founded in 1839) still exist in the twenty-first century. Coffee brands, such as Hausbrandt (founded in 1892) and Illy (founded in 1933) were also established in the city.

In 1956, Giotta received the opportunity to take over Piccola Cafe, a small business located at 601 Vallejo Street in the North Beach. He renamed his new business Caffè Trieste, after the city of Trieste. The cafe was the first espresso house on the West Coast. Giotta imported and roasted the beans, which were not yet common in American cafe culture. "Caffe Trieste's Influence Percolates Through Area" The Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2010 The cafe quickly became popular among the neighborhood's primarily Italian residents. "It was all Italian people," Giotta said of the neighborhood, "But I got the American people to like cappuccino." "50 Years of Art and Coffee" by Cecilia M. Vega, San Francisco Chronicle, April 1, 2006 For decades, the cafe has been known to have opera singers on Saturday.

Franchise locations were opened in Sausalito (1970s-2008), Berkeley (2004), Oakland, and Monterey. In 2016, Caffe Trieste became a legacy business in San Francisco. That same year, Giotta died. In 2017, a family dispute broke out over the management and future of the business. As a result, the Berkeley and Oakland locations, which were under the ownership of 4 Musketeers, S.P. LLC, severed ties with Caffe Trieste and changed the names of the locations in 2017. They cited the family dispute as the reason behind the move.

San Francisco politician Aaron Peskin is also a cafe regular.

Local figures have discussed the cultural impact of the cafe. As described by Mark Bittner, "I think of Caffe Trieste as one of the last strongholds—actually the true center— of what made this neighborhood so fabulous." Tony Long, local journalist and author, described it as the "living room" of its regulars. Jack Hirschman remembered, "When I arrived in 1972, (Papa Gianni’s sister) Iolanda fed me for about 6 months because I had no money. Much later, before the official celebration at Koret Auditorium for my becoming Poet laureate, Ida and The Trieste held a party for me first."

The cafe has been featured in several movies, on television, radio, in magazines, and in dozens of photography, tourism and other books, ranging from local to national and international in scope.Ira Nowinski with Charles Wehrenberg, Rebecca Solnit, et al., Ira Nowinski's San Francisco, The Bancroft Library/Heyday Books, Berkeley, p.56/57, Ira Nowinski with Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, et al., Cafe Society: Photographs and Poetry from San Francisco's North Beach, A Seefood Studios Book, San Francisco 1978, Francis Ford Coppola wrote much of the screenplay for The Godfather while sitting in the Caffè Trieste. "Gianfranco Giotta dies, owner of Caffè Trieste" SF Gate, September 19, 1999

• List of coffeehouse chains

• Official website
• Caffè Trieste Photo Gallery by Christopher Michel
• "Caffe Trieste's Influence Percolates Through Area" The Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2010