Caffe Cordina recently marked 175 years of inspiration with the inauguration of a new painting by renowned French artist Alain Despert by President George Abela.
The sum of €1,750 was also donated by the Cordina family and employees to L-Istrina.
In 1837, the Cordinas opened a small coffee shop in Cospicua. Little did they know that the outlet would one day celebrate its 175th anniversary. Such a milestone was celebrated with a gala evening.
Dr Abela said that along the years Caffe Cordina had always maintained a sense of exclusivity and sophistication.
He joked about the coffee shop being more of a landmark for the local community than the President’s Palace in Valletta.
He also remarked about the ability of the Cordina family to not only maintain an exclusive brand but to diver-sify into other markets, includ-ing outside catering and the production of authentic Maltese products.
Despert’s painting will be on permanent display at the outlet, along with the rest of the art collection hosted by Caffe Cordina, commemorating various moments of Malta’s (and the coffee shop’s) chequered history.
John Cordina, current proprietor and a sixth-generation Cordina, took the audience back to the days when his ancestors opened their first outlet.
It was his late father Cesare who took the decision in 1944 to relocate Caffe Cordina to the iconic place in Piazza Regina (today Republic Square), where it stands today.
Cilio Bugeja, CEO of Caffe Cordina, presented three awards to Geatano Spiteri, John Taylor and Karistu Baldacchino for their continuous dedicated and loyal service, as employees of Caffe Cordina, in the last 39, 47 and 55 years respectively.
Mr Bugeja pointed out that the success of Caffe Cordina is not only based on the quality of its products but also on the outstanding service by its employees.