The story of the “Café do Centro” is closely related to the progress of life in the city of São Paulo along the 20th Century. “Café do Centro” was opened in 1916, in the fashionable center of São Paulo, a city with one million inhabitants. It was the time of gas lamps, tramways, of the first and very few automobiles. The initial venue the “Café do Centro”, in the “Travessa do Comércio” (Commerce Lane), was a distinctive reference point that perfumed this part of town with its aroma. For more than seventy years, thousands of “Paulistas” followed a tradition: to pause in their rushing around, stop, purchase and take home this freshly ground coffee just like their grandparents used to do. .

1916 – Founding of “Café do Centro” by the Nahum family.

1925 –“Café do Centro” inaugurates the Petit Palais, a perfect replica of a stylish Parisian coffee shop. The citizens of São Paulo acquire sophisticated habits and begin to savor their coffee with the refinement of the large European centers.

The 1940s – The Second World War brings a strong North-American influence to the country. People get into the habit of eating out. “Café do Centro” opens the “Café Juca Pato”, a cafeteria patronized by politicians, sportsmen and theater and movie actors. Daily sales of the “Café Juca Pato” surpass 15,000 cups of coffee a day!

1958 – The “Café do Centro” begins to offer Espresso Coffee, a high quality product available only for some clients.

The 1960s and 1970s – Innovating once again, “Café do Centro” sets up special counters for sale and tasting in the larger supermarkets of São Paulo.

The 1980s – “Café do Centro” is concerned with an increasingly customized approach to the consumer adding home delivery service.

The 1990s - “Café do Centro” launches its Premium and Gourmet versions and is the first brand to specify on the packaging, origin of the beans, type of beverage, acidity and roasting time of the coffees.

1996 – “Café do Centro” is sold to the Branco Peres Group that maintains the tradition of producing the best coffees.

1998 – The world is increasingly involved with ecological issues. The company launches the Organic “Café do Centro”.

2000 – The habit of having espresso coffee is spreading in São Paulo. The “Café do Centro” Gourmet is elected by various gastronomy magazines as the best brand on the market. The magazine “Tea and Coffee” (respected worldwide) publishes a four page article on the major influence of the “Café do Centro” in the improvement of coffee savored in Brazil.

2001 - To distinguish Brazilian coffees by origin, the “Café do Centro” is the first to launch a line of six Special Coffee brands: Bahia, Paraná, South of Minas, Cerrado, Espirito Santo and Mogiana.

2003 – The restaurant DOM, one of the best in the world, launches a menu of special coffees with the “Café do Centro” offering clients, the complete line of Special Coffees.

2004 – Acknowledged as the main Gourmet Coffee of Brazil, the company is present in the best restaurants of São Paulo. It starts to export to France, Italy, the USA and Japan.

2005 – Brazil makes the largest export of roasted coffee to date. France acquires 50 tons of Special “Café do Centro” in a single operation.

2006 –The “Café do Centro” inaugurates a coffee shop in Tokyo, beginning to cater to the world’s most demanding consumers.

2007 - Café do Centro inaugurates the second coffee shop in Japan.