Café Bustelo is an American coffee brand owned by The J.M. Smucker Company.

Café Bustelo
Product typeCoffee
OwnerJ.M. Smucker
CountryU.S.
Introduced1928; 96 years ago (1928) by Gregorio Menendez Bustelo
Websitecafebustelo.com

History

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Gregorio Menéndez Bustelo (1892–1965) traveled from his native Asturias, Spain[a] to Cuba as a young man, and moved to the United States in 1917.[5] He founded the Café Bustelo coffee company in East Harlem, New York in 1928.[6] His product became popular among Cuban exiles who preferred to prepare it in espresso coffeemakers rather than the then-common method of filtering it through a coffee "sock".[7] The company remained successful throughout the 20th century, and was known for its distinctive yellow and red cans.[6]

Café Bustelo was purchased by Rowland Coffee Roasters of Miami in 2000.[6] Rowland was acquired by the Cuban American Souto family the same year, and sold to the J.M. Smucker Company in 2011.[7]

Cultural impact

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Bustelo gained a particular cachet among artistic and hipster subcultures in the 1990s and 2000s. It is referenced by name in the song "Today 4 U" from the 1996 musical Rent.[6]

The Bustelo image and logo have also been creatively utilized by multiple artists who use the Bustelo theme in their paintings, prints, etc.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Notes

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  1. ^ Bustelo has been cited as being born in Galicia in numerous occasions,[1][2] but immigration records name Luarca as his birth place.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ "El gallego que llevó el café a Nueva York". El Correo Gallego (in Spanish). March 30, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "The History of Bustelo's Cuban Coffee". Tenement Museum. August 11, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "Gregorio Bustelo, Founder of Bustelo Coffee…". Spanish Immigrants in the United States. September 29, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Conde, Arturo (October 16, 2017). "In the Iconic Café Bustelo, A Story of New York's Spanish Immigrant Community". NBC News. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  5. ^ White, J.T. (1969). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. p. 346. Retrieved May 4, 2017 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b c d "Café Bustelo History". cafebustelo.com – "About Us". Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Rodriguez, Francisco; Rodriguez, Leonardo; Verdeja, Sam (January 20, 2012). "Entrepreneurs: The Pioneers". In Verdeja, Sam; Martinez, Guillermo (eds.). Cubans, an Epic Journey. Reedy Press. pp. 283–284. ISBN 9781935806202. Retrieved May 4, 2017 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Here Is the Café Bustelo-Inspired Merch You Always Wanted". Remezcla. August 13, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  9. ^ "Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities – Café Bustelo® El Café del Futuro Scholarship to award twenty $5,000 scholarships". www.hacu.net. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  10. ^ "Aldo Crusher | Café Bustelo". Rapp|Art. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  11. ^ "'Cafe Collabs': The Knocks, Kim Petras, and More at Hot 100". Billboard. September 6, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  12. ^ "Cafe Bustelo Collaboration". Shelbi Nicole Designs. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  13. ^ "Aldo Crusher Illustration: Café Bustelo". www.theispot.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "One Of Miami's Contemporary Art Icons: Stephen Gamson". Miami Art Scene™. Retrieved July 15, 2020.


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