July 20, 2020
Tony Ponte grew up as a second-generation Italian whose grandparents were farmers in southern Italy before coming to America. His family spent years in the coffee business where he grew up in Connecticut, but he didn't see his future in the family trade.
That all changed after a few years and a few different jobs across the country. Tony found himself inspired as he watched his close friend Dan and his brothers start their chocolate business from their apartment in Harlem. They suggested that he follow his family's story and create a coffee roasting brand. He took the motivation from his friends, and then he tapped his roots and came up with Graziella Coffee Company, named after his grandmother. His mission is to create a product that gives people the chance to share a cup and provide the opportunity to connect in a world that is growing ever more digital and disconnected.
In Tony's family, coffee isn’t about breaking down flavor notes, or considering levels of sweetness and acidity. In the morning, it was the utility of that first cup that mattered. Usually paired with something as simple as toast with butter, coffee was the fuel to kick start the day. In the evenings, and particularly during family gatherings or when guests were over, the Bialetti moka pot came out and small cups of espresso were passed around as conversation carried on at the kitchen table for hours. Some drank it with sugar, others poured in Sambuca, an anise-flavored liqueur that paired well (enough) with the deeply roasted coffee pulled from the cabinet or freezer.
For Tony, the smell of Sambuca and espresso carries fond memories of family, which is one of the reasons he decided to get into coffee in the first place: coffee creates community. Graziella Coffee is roasted at the Regalia Collective in Queens. This facility has incubated many new coffee brands, and Tony is able to share space and gain knowledge from his fellow roasters.
Matte Labels For Coffee Bags
The Graziella Coffee Bag stands on its own without great coffee inside. There are three different label applications and a few hands stamps in various places. See the image below for the variety of labeling that goes into this package.
Tony places the matte product label on the back of the bag to highlight the ingredients and composition of the roast. Then there's the label on top of the bag that wraps from front to back. He then hand-stamps the Graziella brand name, the bean type and the quantity, along with the Graziella slogan "Don't Work Too Hard."
From the roasting of the bean to the wrapping of the bag, the entire process for Graziella Coffee is built on an old world tradition of handcrafted passion, and it shows through in the branding and the taste of the coffee.
You can see more from Tony and the day-to-day at Graziella Coffee Company on their very active and engaging Instagram account @graziellacoffeecompany. The photos on their account might just have you ordering up their next custom roast.
TRY MATTE LABELS TODAY