00:00Today's game changer, the cup that woke up America.
00:03We're here at Cafe Reggio, established in 1927 in Greenwich Village.
00:07This was one of the first places in the U.S. to serve espresso and the first to serve cappuccino.
00:12This tiny spot in Greenwich Village houses one of the oldest espresso machines in America.
00:15This was made in Italy in 1902. It cost $1,000.
00:20So it's pretty much the great-grandfather of every $8 latte you've ever complained about.
00:24Which means it's basically that place that invented, I'll have a small cup of coffee, but also a lifestyle.
00:30Before cold brew, before oat milk, before your barista silently judge your life choices, this was the place.
00:36And the founder who started it all? Domenico Parisi.
00:40The man, the myth, the hairstylist?
00:42Turns out the American espresso revolution started with a pair of scissors.
00:46Parisi didn't open a cafe because he wanted to start a trend.
00:49He was a barber who served espresso to customers between haircuts, a familial ritual back home in Italy.
00:54When he moved to New York, he brought that tradition with him.
00:56And eventually, his espresso machine from Italy.
00:58So he could keep serving coffee the same way he did at home.
01:02He opened Cafe Reggio in 1927 and started serving espresso brewing strong and fast.
01:07But he also served cappuccino because it was the everyday coffee Italians already loved.
01:11Cappuccino was a softer, more social drink.
01:14A way to introduce people to espresso without overwhelming them.
01:17And it helped Parisi build a cafe that felt like a home for immigrants and exciting for curious New Yorkers.
Comments