#STANDTOGETHER
We Are Stronger Together

illy globally implemented key measures very early on both at the factory and at our headquarters, in Trieste, Italy  to mitigate risk.  

These steps included many also implemented in North America, to ensure the safety of our employees and that our supply chain and operations remained up and running for customers including customer care and technical service.    All of these actions allowed our factory to continue to operate with no disruption to production.   Inspections recently made confirm that illy’s operation in Italy is operating above the guidelines issued by the government and WHO.   And, as demand has shifted from on-premise to increases in At Home channels, we have maintained our warehouse, logistics and operations network to continue to deliver illy products to meet consumer demand.  

Over the past seven weeks, we are also very proud to have donated 100,000 servings of illy ready to drink, cold brew and ground coffee to organizations supporting healthcare workers and food pantries in some of the hardest hit areas in New York City and the Tri-State Area, Boston, and in Los Angeles as well.   We are also continuing to raise awareness for programs that continue to support the hospitality industry including NRAEF’s Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, CIA Culinary Emergency Scholarship Fund, and Feed the Frontlines.

It is our mission to continue to closely monitor our supply chain while also implementing strategies to keep employees and partners safe at all times while continuing as we have throughout this crisis, to provide the products, services, and support that you need.   

On a day-to-day basis, our factory has always maintained the highest safety standards, including strict adherence to the Quality System Certification/UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 standard, issued by the Det Norske Veritas Italia certification body. This system certification requires compliance with current health and hygiene standards and  product certification procedures, with particular attention to those related to the criteria for the purchase and inspection of raw materials, testing of finished product and of the various phases of product storage and transportation.    

The combination of how COVID-19 is known to be transmitted, our high standards for manufacturing practices and adherence to HACCP rules of hygienic and sanitary safety, virtually guarantees that the entire portfolio of illy caffè products do NOT present any risks to consumer health

This is essential to ensuring the safety of your team and customers.  Post COVID, customers must feel safe to sustain your business, and addressing that need is key to sustaining your business.   Cleanliness could become a competitive advantage.

As a first step, be knowledgeable on each  States’ various guidelines -- such as mandating the space between tables or max capacity reductions.   We also recommend reviewing best practices and principles for sanitizing and cleaning from the CDC and experts like ServSafe (https://www.servsafe.com/).   Beyond your current procedures, you need to consider extra precautionary measures to prevent any potential spread of the virus, such as using personal protective masks, single serve utensils, usage of signs to remind people of social distancing, or even going cashless.

You should also consider a plan if one of your employees does contract the corona virus.  For example how will you inform customers and your vendors?   How will you take extra steps to re-sanitize and clean your venue such as using a third party service.  

We believe to maintain a safe self-serve coffee station; we would recommend an employee attendant from your F&B team to consistently clean the coffee area after each guest uses it.  

A best practice approach is to have an attendant actually pour and serve guests their coffee from a self serve station including adding milk for the guest/customer  The attendant would need to comply with your own safety guidelines such as wearing a mask, gloves and consistently cleaning and sanitizing the coffee station . 

We also recommend the following for consideration:

• Do not use porcelain cups instead switch to disposal / takeaway cups and lids
• Consider using single serve creamers – however be mindful on how these are accessed by guests – the attendant could hand this to the guest versus the guest accessing themselves.  
• If using a milk dispenser, you can ask guests via signage to use a hand sanitizing unit prior to touching the milk dispenser.   A hand sanitizing unit should be placed next to the condiment area.  Consider having an attendant or guest access individually wrapped single use stirrer w/ sugar packet (typically used for in-room) in conjunction with self serve coffee serving stations.  

Also keep in mind, we have products like Ready to Drink canned coffee and other solutions to address new protocols.  Please contact your illy sales associates to discuss ideas.

Your espresso, coffee and tea equipment are fundamental to your business and ensuring that they are working well is essential. There are specific actions including check lists and documentation to support putting your equipment back in service. These documents cover restarting your machines with topics such as checking your water filters and systems in addition to detailed checks of machine components based on your type of espresso equipment. 

Please click the link provided to access these documents. 

• Restart Traditional Espresso Machine & Grinder 
• Download - RESTART GUIDE for Espresso Machine and Grinder (VIDEO)
• Restart Iperespresso Machine
• Restart ESE Pod Machine
• Restart Filter Coffee Brewer & Grinder
• Restart Iced Tea Brewer
• Restart Aria Cold Brew Dispenser
• Download - RESTART GUIDE for Aria Cold Brew (VIDEO)

PLEASE NOTE:  If you identify an issue with your equipment or products, please contact our National Support Team as soon as possible: 1-800-872-4559 – Press option 2

It is essential practice to use only professional coffee cleaner specifically intended for coffee equipment  (powder or tablets) to clean your espresso machine, coffee and tea brewer, grinder / doser and cold brew dispenser.   These cleaning products are designed specifically to remove coffee oils without damaging equipment.  We therefore advise you to check that you have the professional cleaner you will need, and if necessary order more as soon as possible   Please avoid the use of lemon, vinegar, baking soda or other products not intended for cleaning coffee equipment and may have detrimental effects. 

After a long period of inactivity, even if the premises and equipment were maintained and cleaned before closing, it will be necessary to do so again prior to reopening

If the illy can had been opened prior to closing your business the coffee will have been in contact with oxygen and the oxidation of the oils within the coffee beans has already occurred, and therefore it is no longer of good quality to serve to customers.. If the beans were in a grinder, we recommend that you remove these beans and clean the grinder with coffee cleaner to remove oils built up on the equipment (see links to restart guides above).   If you have opened bags of iper espresso, these have started to oxidized as well and we recommend not using them.

As always, please check expiration dates on unopened illy products as well.  Given our pressurization technology for our packaging, our product has a long shelf life.

See the links above to restarting and cleaning your equipment and the links below to the training guides.

In addition, we do not anticipate that your bagged or loose tea has expired.

Given the unpredictability of customers returning fully and the mandates to restrict capacity, illy can help determine your potential usage and offer other solutions such as single serve.   We have decades of experience, expertise and methods for forecasting coffee and tea usage based on your estimated foot traffic, hours of operation and other factors.   

Please get in touch with an illy sales associate who can support you.

Challenges often necessitate change and new approaches.  This is an important aspect of the recovery and illy can support you in strategizing a plan to drive your sales.   We have a full portfolio of products like Ready to Drink can coffee and Dammann Ice Tea, accessories like take-away cups, in addition to proprietary tools that can help forecast the opportunity that might exist from adding or optimizing and/or promoting our wide range of illy coffee and tea products.

Through the end of June, illy has established promotional offerings to help customers get back to business.  Please check with your sales representative for more information on these deals. 

The full illy technical team is here to support you.  – As always, we ask that you call our support line at 1-800-872-4559 – Option 2 for technical assistance including scheduling maintenance and repair requests.  

Our technical team has strict protocols for on-site technical support to ensure the safety of your staff and our technician.   Our team will use masks, gloves, sanitizing spray, and observe social distancing guidelines.   We will also call prior to arriving to understand if there are additional procedures and guidelines you would like us to observe when on-site at your location.

Please reach out to your local illy team member.  We have various ways of providing training during these challenging times and to get you ready for reopening and we can help.  Our local associates have the ability to conduct  on-site training taking into consideration the need to be safe during this time.  You will also have access to online webinars, videos, and other types of content to help you and your team prepare to open.  

We have essential café guides available which covers operational functions.  These comprehensive guides, in addition to other training documents and videos can be found following the below links::  

• Guide to Perfect Espresso – Beans & Grinder
• Guide to Perfect Espresso – Iperespresso Capsules
• Guide to Perfect Espresso – ESE Pods
• Guide to Perfect Brewed Coffee
• Guide to Perfect Iced Tea
• Guide to Perfect Cold Brew Coffee

There are many activities that you can consider doing now to make the most of your time pre – reopening Then once you open, you will be ready to implement them.

1. Develop a new menu: review your offering and consider what will work for reopening – a phase 1 and what may be added at phase 2 when business begins to pick up. Take into account the guidelines that your State / local governments may be mandating for food service. Also, consider likely customer behavior shifts, such as increased take out and delivery items. Note: talk to your illy representative about our full line of to go cups, and other products that can help you to maximize your revenue such as Cold Brew and Ready to Drink canned products.
2. In phase 1, think about how you will get the word out that you’ve reopened. Your social networks, local papers and other communication channels are key: it is very important to keep your customer community engaged and social network channels can be helpful in spreading the word.
3. Consider new recipes and new preparations: spend time experimenting and learning a new offering that could impress customers as soon as the emergency is over.
4. Work with your staff to improve their knowledge of the products that you offer: employees who have a good understanding of the products that you offer will be able to sell them better, be more persuasive, and be better at "cross selling" additional products to increase ring.
5. Consider new business opportunities: this is the ideal time to renew your offer and service. Think about new opportunities, such as takeaway services, catering services, developing your offer for lunch or Sunday brunch. These can be key factors that help your business to stand out when you reopen, and to win new and retain loyal customers.

1. Make a schedule for your staff rotation for the reopening, start with more structured and wide-ranging shifts, which will make it easier to organize the whole team. Try to implement a two-week rotation from the start, this will help employees organize their private lives in addition to creating initial enthusiasm in the workplace. Think holistically. 
2. Make a list for cleaning: after a long period of inactivity, even if maintenance and cleaning of the premises and equipment has already been carried out prior to closing, it will be necessary to do so again before reopening. It is important to immediately make a list of the maintenance and cleaning procedures for the counter, the refrigerators, the storeroom, preparation areas and equipment. Also paying particular attention to checking inventories and expiration dates.
3. Your service areas are  very important: make  sure that he space and your equipment is well organized and free of clutter.  – you want to have an efficient and functional workspace that visually tells the customer that everything is in safe and order. Use a critical eye and make the appropriate changes. 
4. Involve your staff: in this difficult period, employees are also having a difficult time so engage them and motivate them by involving them wherever possible to evaluate  initiatives for recovery.  You may want to consider organizing online meetings. This will help them to develop a stronger sense of belonging and it will make them feel useful. 
5. Display cabinets remain an  important part in  communicating your offer, and they will be just as important for your reopening. Take time to prepare your price tags and redesign your displays, which can give you a significant advantage over your competition.
6. It’s a good time to consider improving  marketing communication of your business’ image - for example improving customer touch points:  modifying your logo, updating uniforms, packaging, business cards, loyalty rewards program materials or any other materials that communicate with your customers.  While there is an expense to these changes, many vendors supplying these material maybe willing to work with you on cost effective terms and this will help bring new life to your business, and show your customers a fresh new look.
7. Making a checklist of the main activities that you need to carry out will help you to start on the right foot and avoid the risk of forgetting something important.:
   1. Make a list of all the cleaning tasks and cleaning operations: the counter, espresso machine, grinder-doser, refrigerators, storeroom, preparation areas and all equipment, including those for ancillary preparations, such as Cold Brew or Ice Tea brewers and dispensers. Each piece of equipment will require specific attention.
   2. If you find equipment or products in an unsuitable condition, you will need to dispose of them or schedule repairs.
   3. Check that you have a supply of professional coffee specific cleaners, if you have run short of anything, you will need to be prepared to order or obtain them in order to perform sanitation and maintenance tasks correctly.
   4. Prepare to make an inventory of your products, check stock levels, check the expiration dates and organize your storeroom.  Make a note that you may encounter more to go requests and use of disposable cups, sugars and other condiments and utensils

If you or your team ha time available, seeking out reference material is a good idea to improve your coffee knowledge as it will provide a deeper understanding of the illy product from bean to cup – an in-depth look at the life cycle of coffee, its history and evolution around the world, the transformation techniques and its sensorial characteristics. 

There are numerous books to help – one in particular is “Aroma of the World”, an entertaining but educational read, where the author Elisabetta Illy provides a journey of discovery based on a cup of illy coffee. The book is published by Hoepli, with the contribution of Andrea Illy and in collaboration with the Università del Caffè, and can be purchased online at https://www.amazon.com/Aroma-World-Journey-Mysteries-Delights/dp/885440716X.   

There is also the illy YouTube channel, in the Coffee Expertise playlist at https://www.youtube.com/user/illycaffeSpA/playlists where can watch four different videos made by the illycaffè Università del Caffè which give an introduction to the principal areas around the culture of quality coffee and illy coffee.

The Specialty Cofffee Associaton (SCA) is also a great resource for knowledge and skills. 

 www.SCA.coffee 

While interaction with customers early on will be limited given the restrictions from local government and social distancing practices, having your employees communicate effectively about products to your customer is a fundamental factor in achieving high standards of quality in service and selling.   Now maybe a good time to get prepared to make sure you can do it better when longer customer interaction returns.

In order to engage your customers in a tasting experience of illy espresso, you first need to understand the sensorial characteristics that need attention. You also need to remember that all the senses are involved in the experience: our sense of taste evaluates the three elements of bitterness, acidity and sweetness; our sense of smell recognizes aromas, such as chocolate, caramel, floral or fruity; and our sense of touch recognizes the “body” - the density and viscosity of the coffee. Sight evaluates the crema on the espresso – a hazelnut color is an indicator of correct preparation, and finally hearing acts in a less evident but equally important way, as all the sounds that surround us when we taste our coffee influence our final perception. 

Take a look at the video  "illy coffee: the experience of the cup" by the Università del Caffè on the illy YouTube channel:   https://youtu.be/c16nzJmWgAk

This engaging and educational video will let you explore the subject of tasting in more depth, and the first section includes the definition of espresso and its preparation.  

The next step in this process is to thoroughly understand the specific characteristics of the illy blend and the different Taste Intensities of Classico and Intenso 

The illy Classico blend has a balanced taste that tends more towards acidity than bitterness, with a distinct sweetness that is particularly noticeable in the aftertaste. The most distinctive aromatic notes are of caramel and orange blossom (citrus), with a slight hint of jasmine.

The illy Intenso blend has a balanced taste that tends more to bitterness than acidity and a full-bodied aftertaste. Cocoa and dried fruit are the aromatic notes that stand out most.

To accompany your customers in the espresso tasting experience, try the following approach:

• Invite them to sip a cup of water before tasting as it helps to "prepare" the palate;
• Suggest they try not adding any sugar, if they habitually use it, in order to get the palate accustomed to perceiving the quality and characteristics of "unadulterated" coffee;
• Accompany the tasting by describing the characteristics that can be found in the illy blend according to the knowledge and awareness you have developed.

The methods for preparing coffee have evolved and transformed considerably throughout history. Nowadays, there are new possibilities and approaches being introduced to the market that can give you the opportunity to expand your coffee offer. In this context, Chemex and French Press are well worth investigating.

Chemex is a genuine design object, invented in 1941 by the German-born American scientist Peter J. Schlumbohm. The glass vessel has an hourglass shape with an unmistakable wooden collar, tied with a leather strap, to make it easy to grip. It is used with specific and characteristic conical filters into which the ground coffee is placed. Chemex coffee requires a manual preparation technique, which involves pouring hot water slowly over the coffee with circular movements to facilitate percolation, then waiting for the necessary amount of time until the filtration is complete.

Also known as Melior, cafetière à piston or plunger coffee, this preparation method is known around the world as “French Press”, named after the country where it was invented in 1857. It uses the infusion technique but, unlike oriental or Turkish coffee, the coffee is filtered before being served. The unmistakable coffee maker consists a cylindrical jug and a lid with a plunger, which is used to separate the drink from the coffee powder.

Both preparations are considered “Slow Preparations,” a category of preparations that require more time than the canonical 30 seconds for espresso. These methods offer very scenographic / visual coffee rituals. They can be prepared right before your customers’ eyes, inviting them to discover an alternative experience.

Here is a selection of links where you can find information and resources designed for professionals:

• illy website, professional section https://www.illy.com/en-us/professional-partners 
• Università del Caffè: www.unicaffe.com
• illy YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/illycaffeSpA
• illy value report http://valuereport.illy.com/
• illy Linked-in https://www.linkedin.com/company/97046/
• illy Facebook https://facebook.com/illy/
• illy instagram https://www.instagram.com/illy_coffee/?hl=it
• illy pinterest https://www.pinterest.it/illy_coffee/
• illy Shop www.illy.com