Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1037099
18 COMMERCIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY •7 OCTOBER 2018 Caffe Cordina: An impeccable history PAUL COCKS ANYONE who walks into Caffe Cordina immediately falls in love with the place and its décor. And if one were to spend some time there, they would quickly realise that there is so much more be- yond the priceless paintings on the walls and ceilings, beyond the beautiful décor and mouth- watering food. But few people realise that be- hind the historic cafeteria in Val- letta right across from Pjazza Re- gina, is a family business which is constantly evolving but always strictly adhering to its time-hon- oured ethos built around quality. One of Caffe Cordina's most successful ventures is its prod- uct line, comprised of traditional Maltese favourites as well as some of the Caffe's own most successful delicacies. The retail product line was launched in the late 1990s, solely with the very popular nougat and honey rings. That product line has today grown to include more than 70 packaged and branded products that include the best- selling product at Malta Inter- national Airport. In fact, four of the 10 best-selling items at MIA airside retail outlets are Caffe Cordina products. What few people know is that Caffe Cordina produces all its food and sweet products on site, in a fully-fledged industrial kitchen beneath the cafeteria in Republic Street that is the largest production facility in Valletta. And as in any other venture taken up by Caffe Cordina, its product line too is constantly evolving, with new products in- troduced regularly. The success of Caffe Cordina products at the MIA departures lounge has re- sulted in the company opening a similar dedicated sales point in the departures lounge of the Valletta Cruise Terminal. And only days since the stand's open- ing, the product line has already proven popular with cruise liner passengers, who appreciate the quality, as well as the diversity of the line. Another service Caffe Cordina has become renowned for over the years is its outside catering service. Catering to weddings, conferences, events, private functions and any other activity, has become of the company's mainstay business. Anyone seeking quality food and service to be catered at any location knows that Caffe Cor- dina will deliver exactly that. Having an event catered by Caffe Cordina, carries an underly- ing promise of quality. And that quality is not only limited to the food and service, but extends throughout the process, from ordering to timely delivery and execution. Behind the changes and evolu- tion that the business is under- going is a dynamic management team. John Cordina is the current owner of the business. A fourth- generation Cordina, he remains today chairman of the company but in 2012 he decided to ap- point a CEO and, for the first time in the company's history, he looked outside the family for the person to take over. Cilio Bugeja, who had been the company's fi- nancial controller for four years, became CEO in 2012. "I was proud to be chosen but I knew that I had an enormous responsibility, that is to grow the business while adhering to the family's ethos and safeguarding it for future generations," he says. "And to this day, in my day-to- day running of the business, I am guided by John's belief in quality service and product." That quality service is down to the staff, and Bugeja says that all Caffe Cordina employees under- stand that they are the brand's ambassadors. "Our best asset today remains our staff, who have proven over the years to be loyal, proud and completely dedicated to the company and the Cordina fam- ily," he says. It's true. The business has probably one of the highest staff retention levels in the business, with a number of employees having joined the business more than 25 years ago. Bugeja says that, as across the catering industry, it is not al- ways easy to find the right staff and that more locals are shying away from the industry. "In every challenge I see op- portunity, and our brand is strong and remains attractive," he says. "Today we have a multi- national staff complement that includes more than 30 foreign- ers out of over 150 employees." The staff is not just the wait- ers, waitresses, baristas and cashiers at the cafeteria. The business employs chefs, pas- try chefs, kitchen helpers and outside catering staff, as well as office personnel and manage- ment. A staff and management re- shuffle was implemented by Bugeja soon after he became CEO and he says he was buoyed by the positive feedback from all personnel involved. He also continued to expand the company's product line and point of sale venues, as well as expanding the cafeteria's pres- ence on Pjazza Regina. "When I became CEO, I quickly came to appreciate how John Cordina, and his fa- ther before him, were not only intent on building a legacy for CAFFE Cordina has its roots in Cospicua, where the family first settled after moving to Malta from Italy in 1837. They eventually opened a small coffee shop on the waterfront, opposite Dock No. 1, which was completely destroyed during World War II, as was much of Cospicua and the rest of the Three Cities. When the war was over, Cesare Cordina, the patriarch of the Cordina family – which had moved to Hamrun during the war – decided to open a cafeteria in Valletta and leased the property in Republic Street from the Casino Maltese. Cesare Cordina had a vision. He wanted to build a fam- ily business that would be passed down for generations and he slowly but surely went about cementing Caffe Cor- dina's legacy. He gradually bought adjacent properties – a former pharmacy on Republic Street and a tobacco shop overlooking the Grandmaster's Palace – and instilled in his staff a strict regimen focused on quality. And as the décor underwent a major overlift into the makings of the baroque masterpiece that it is today, so did the business. It was not long before people were vying to join Caffe Cordina's staff complement, as the business quickly became renowned for its quality service amongst Maltese and foreigners alike. Never one to grow complacent, Cesare Cordina launched outside catering services in the beginning of the 1960s and he was soon entrusted with catering at the Independence Ball thst the last British governor organised in 1964. When Cesare passed away in 1989, the business passed on to his son John who continued building on his father's legacy and vision. One of John's first decisions was to move the business outside onto Pjazza Regina and to expand its product line. He retained the level of service and food quality that the cafeteria was famous for but realised there was room to expand.