By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
Waco, like many other college towns, has an abundance of coffee shops for students to study in.
While students often settle for convenience when it comes to their coffee, Dan Moroso, owner of recently opened Italian cafe “Azzurro,” urges them to venture out of the Baylor bubble to Bosque Blvd. for a cup of coffee they won’t forget.
Upon first entry, the cafe is exactly what the name promises — a cozy, calming space where the walls, furniture and even the hand-blown glass decorations on the wall emit hues of blue. Moroso said he wanted to choose a name that related back to Italy and that would make their shop stand out: hence Azzurro, meaning “sky blue” in Italian.
“This was an old travel agency that had been here for over 30 years,” Moroso said. “It was very dank-looking — green carpet on the floor — and we came in and just gutted everything, transformed the place.”
About two years ago, an idea began brewing — an idea to bring the first authentic Italian coffee shop to Waco, Moroso said. Over the years, he has lived in places such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and Lisbon, making it important to him that the cafe have a decor which is accurate to a real coffee shop one might see in Europe, he said.
The vibe is not the only thing in the shop that is Italian, though. The shiny hand-crafted “La Marzocco” espresso machine, the shop’s coffee beans and even Moroso himself have roots in Italy.
Years ago, Maroso’s grandfather on his mother’s side came over from Italy to Ellis Island for a better life in America, he said. The cafe owner considers himself lucky to still have his last name, as immigration officers would often change names they couldn’t pronounce.
His grandparents then began to build their lives in New York — his grandfather working in construction and painting and his grandmother as a janitor. There, Moroso was born and raised.
What eventually drew him to Waco was his love for the community — the Baylor community in particular, Moroso explained.
“When we first opened, Baylor was in the back of our mind, because we’re so geographically dislocated from the campus,” Moroso said, referring to his initial opening of his restaurant Moroso, located next door to Azzurro. “After the second year, we realized that Baylor was no longer just some icing on the cake, but they were part of our family and a big part of the community here, and so it’s amazing how much impact Baylor has had.”
Moroso said he chose to use “Illy,” a brand of coffee from Trieste, Italy, in all the drinks his shop serves. These beans come from the same province, Fruili, as Moroso’s family.
“This is the coffee that my family grew up with, generation after generation,” Moroso said. “I drink it every day.”
Illy is one of the most ethical companies in the world and is used in 140 countries, Moroso said. The sustainability and ethics behind their company is absolutely superior, he said.
“Their concept is they only purchase the top 1% of Arabica beans that are being produced, generally from South and Central America,” Moroso said. “Illy understands that giving back to the farmers is a key and critical component in the relationship they’ve built.”
Moroso explained that most times when coffee is purchased by a consumer, that coffee dealt by brokers takes money from the farmers who grew the beans. Instead, Illy deals directly with the farmers to ensure more profit for their families and workers.
What makes this particular brand so special to Maroso is its boldness and body in flavor combined with its smooth finish.
“Today, a lot of upstart coffee shops are roasting and serving coffees that have a somewhat astringent or bitter taste on the back end, and a whole generation in America is growing up to believe and think that this is the way coffee should taste,” Moroso said. “Now, don’t get me wrong, if they like that, that’s great. However we wanted to introduce what we believe is a really good cup of coffee to the community, and that’s why we’re here.”
Rosie Garcia, a barista at Azzurro, attested to the quality of the espresso.
“The Italian coffee gives us stronger coffee,” Garcia said. “It’s a taste that you won’t forget.”
Garcia said prior to the cafe’s grand opening on Oct. 16, she along with other baristas trained for about a month in order to master the acronyms, recipes and making of each drink.
While Azzurro’s espresso takes the spotlight, Garcia said her favorite drink to make is their matcha latte.
“One of the guys that came in, he ordered a matcha with vanilla,” Garcia said. “We made it just like the way he wanted it and he said that it was one of the best matchas he’s had.”
While the drinks, pastries and vibes of the cafe are all boast-worthy, Garcia said her favorite part of working at Azzurro is the staff she works with and the people she meets.
“It pays you more than your check — just for someone to remember you and acknowledge you … it means you’re doing something good,” Garcia said.
