Mokito Spa is one of those family-run Milanese businesses that has successfully navigated through the ages, adapting to modern challenges and reinventing itself with entrepreneurial creativity.
Mokito’s story began in 1931 when Daniele De Bei, the great-grandfather of the current director, Michele Monzini, founded a coffee roastery in Viale Umbria, Milan, under the name ICAM (Importazione Caffè Arabo Mokito). Thirty years later, the business was relocated to the then-industrial outskirts near the Porta Romana railway yard.
During his travels in the leather industry, Daniele discovered the world of coffee in Eritrea and Ethiopia, inspiring him to establish what would become the oldest coffee roastery in Milan.
Since the late 1990s (1996), Mokito’s production has moved to Binasco as the company continued to grow and needed more space while the neighborhood was undergoing transformation. However, the old plant on Viale Ortles remains and is now used as an office, archive, and warehouse.
The building, overlooking the Roggia Vettabbia canal, retains the charm of old factories—a piece of history that witnessed the rise of many Milanese industries in the 20th century.
Mokito Spa continues to import raw coffee beans from around the world since coffee cultivation is not possible in Italy. Beans from Central and South America, Uganda, Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam arrive at the plant in large bags, ready to be transformed. In their raw form, they look quite different from the coffee we know.
The real “magic” happens in the Mokito Spa facility: the beans are roasted using state-of-the-art machinery, the blends are crafted following secret recipes, and the packaging is meticulously handled to ensure the coffee retains its unique aroma until it’s brewed.
Visiting the company is like taking a journey through the tradition of coffee, which has evolved over time. It was in the post-war era that the espresso machine—a wholly Italian invention—revolutionized the way coffee was brewed and enjoyed, becoming a staple in every bar.
Today, alongside ground coffee, the core of Mokito Spa’s production remains the roasting of whole beans, specifically for bars, coffee shops, and restaurants, where they are ground on-site to preserve the aroma and guarantee an unforgettable taste experience.
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