Espera Feliz - Brazil

Carlos Bitencourt, a Brazilian who left an engineering consulting career in the UK and Germany to dedicate himself to coffee, roasted Cafezal's first batch in 2017 and opened Milan's first specialty coffee roastery as a flagship store in the Brera district the following year. The name, Portuguese for coffee plantation, pays homage to Brazil, and Bitencourt's exploration of the industry began with visits to Brazilian plantations in 2013 before he settled in Milan to build the brand. Cafezal's ambition is visible in its Coffee Hub, a 450 square metre space opened in 2020 that combines a coffee shop, roastery, kitchen, academy, laboratory, coworking area, and members only club. By 2025 the operation had grown to six Milan locations and a partnership supplying all eight Giacomo Milano restaurant group venues, with a first international opening planned for Lisbon. Recognition from Gambero Rosso as Italy's Best Coffee Shop 2025 and Best Roaster 2026 confirms that Cafezal has reshaped what specialty coffee looks like in a city long defined by traditional espresso culture.