The only thing this post has to do with wine is the fact that it relates to my wine studio… which I’ll be moving in to on October 1st by the way. Which also means I’m slowly but surely draining the biz account on designer furniture and more designer furniture. But of course I’ll also be needing coffee – shopping till I’m dropping - and the accessories to serve a proper espresso since I like to offer participants of my wine seminars a piping hot drop of fine Arabica/Robusta blends after they’ve been swirling and spitting for a couple of hours. I’d also like to think it helps sober those up who haven’t made acquaintance with a spittoon eventhough I know it doesn’t. Just wishfull thinking I guess.

So back to the coffee: I’m a big fan of KIMBO coffee and have been for years. As I was ordering my KIMBO espresso cups, KIMBO latte macchiato glasses and KIMBO coffee online, I stumbled upon the Lucaffè assortment on the re-sellers website. It’s not like I’ve never tried the coffee or never seen the logo but for some reason, everytime I see this logo I think to myself… WTF is up with this logo? Even if the coffee was better than KIMBO (which, in my opinion, it isn’t) and not to mention cheaper than KIMBO (which it isn’t), there’s no way I could ever serve coffee made by a company who would use such a logo or in a cup with such a logo on it… even if the cup was cheaper than KIMBO cup (which it isn’t).

Just what exactly is it they are trying to say? This coffee is just as refreshing as the abolition of slavery, that YOU – like Luca, is that his name? – will be dancing barefoot after its ingestion? The claim “E vivi la vita” (translation: and you live life)… what happened? Was “Livin’ La Vida Loca” already taken? A call out to the producer – GET WITH THE TIMES!!! Not that there was ever a right time to label a product with Africans who happen to look like cotton pickers… and yes, many did label their coffees with Moors way back when, and many still do today unfortunately. How do companies even get away with such racist inuendo? Gets me!

One thing I do plan on doing is writing to the company and simply asking “what’s the message you’re trying to send with this logo”. I think I’ll receive one of the two responses 1. no response or 2. Vafanculo! I will surely let you know what that response was.

If you happen to drop by for a visit some time expect a fine cup o’joe with firm crema, namely KIMBO, made by yours truly. Cuz you surely won’t ever be served a cup of “what’s its name” in my studio.

PS: I did some research on the internet only to find out that the Lucaffè bar in Toronto is always empty and I’m definitely not the only one who finds this logo racist :-)