“Good coffee is like fine wine.”
“Good coffee is like fine wine.”
At the age of 26, Fabio Scacciaferro, managing director of Gelateria Luzern, is still very young and yet he already has the experience of a seasoned restaurateur. Because Fabio’s career began at the age of 13. The latte art world champion tells us how he creates little works of art from milk foam and why he prefers his coffee black.
The first coffee is served immediately upon arrival. A cappuccino. Even using oat milk, which is difficult to foam, Fabio conjures up a perfect, caramel-coloured heart in our cups even before we sit down at one of the cosy wooden tables. Every move from the latte art world champion is perfect.
The first guests are already looking through the small window above the door. But the dieci Gelateria & Caffè in Lucerne is still closed. Because on Saturdays, there is a weekly market in the small alley on Rathausquai. So, Fabio can only make the start of the weekend sweet for his guests with gelati, bubble waffles and crepes from 1 pm.
You were born into a typical family of Italian restaurateurs and worked in your parents’ restaurant as a small boy. Did you ever think about doing something completely different later on?
No. It was always clear to me that I would work in the catering industry.
Why did you specialise in coffee?
I took my first barista course and learned how to pour foam at the age of 13. It was just for fun to start with. After that I studied mixology to become a bartender. But I have always been fascinated by coffee. I started practising latte art every day when I was 16. Two years later, I won the world championship title at my first competition in 2017 in Milan. After that I won the Italian Latte Art Championships.
Respect! Did things continue just as smoothly for you in Switzerland?
I didn’t have an easy start in Switzerland. I came here at the beginning of the pandemic. Everything was shut down. I could barely speak any German. During a visit to Lucerne, I happened to meet the former managing director of dieci Gelateria and she asked me if I wanted to take over the small restaurant. Looking back, the whole thing is like a fairy tale.
Did you have time to go to competitions in between too?
Of course! I came second in the “Latte Art” category at the Swiss Coffee Championships last year in Zurich I hope to win the title in October this year.
How do you prepare?
I practise with the same pattern for three hours straight. I used to find ideas for my motifs outdoors in nature or I was inspired by love. Harmony and symmetry in a cup are my main focus today. I pour the sample completely using the jug in “free pour” competition mode. Tools such as chopsticks or food colouring are permitted for “designer latte”.
What should good coffee be like for you?
Coffee is of good quality if it is slightly sour and fruity. You can savour the different types of coffee like a good wine. My personal preference is espresso. With no milk and sugar. And six to eight cups a day.
The dieci Gelateria & Caffè is located by the Reuss on the picturesque Rathausquai. If you walk across the famous Chapel Bridge towards the old town from Lucerne main station, you virtually stumble through your door. Who do you attract as guests?
Mainly tourists. In the summer months, the twelve terrace seats and the tables inside are occupied all the time. Starting this year, we are also serving the famous bubble waffles and crepes in addition to gelato. This has been so popular that we have now introduced the offer at the dieci Gelateria Limmatquai in Zurich. All we need now is a sensational spring and summer so we can attract droves of guests to the gelateria.