R. Torre & Company, Inc.

R. Torre & Company, Inc., maker of Torani, is a San Francisco-based family-owned company that produces flavoring syrups, sauces and blended drink bases. Torani can be added to coffee, espresso beverages, cocktails, soda and other beverages. The R. Torre & Company was founded in 1925 by Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre and is still owned and operated by the Torre family.[4]

R. Torre & Company, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryFlavorings, spices and other ingredients
Founded1925 (1925)
Founder
  • Ezilda Torre
  • Rinaldo Torre
Headquarters
South San Francisco, California
,
United States
Key people
Melanie Dulbecco
(CEO)
ProductsSyrups, Drink
Revenue US$ 85 million (2011)[1][2]
Number of employees
100[3]
Websitewww.torani.com

Torani dates back to 1925, when husband and wife Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre, immigrants from Lucca, Italy, introduced Torani syrups to the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Mixing their syrup recipes with sparkling water, the Torres introduced the classic Italian soda to local cafes, and soon began mixing, blending and selling Torani Syrups from their Italian wholesale grocery.[5]

In 1957, the Torre's son-in-law, Harry Lucheta, took over the business and oversaw Torani's growth from a small local San Francisco business to an international brand.[6][7]

Torani remains a family legacy, owned by Paul Lucheta and Lisa Lucheta, grandchildren of Rinaldo and Ezilda. The company employs over 100 people, and Torani products are distributed in over 40 countries. From the late 1990s – March 2020, Torani’s headquarters, which include both its business offices and manufacturing facilities, were located in South San Francisco, CA. In March 2020, Torani moved its headquarters, now known as the Torani Flavor Factory, to San Leandro, a large suburban town in Alameda County located on the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay. The move, which took 3 years of planning, made national headlines because it was successfully executed during the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] The company blends flavored syrups for sale to global food service clients and specialty retailers under the Torani brand name. Its products, which include Italian syrups in flavors such as amaretto, butterscotch, cheesecake, chocolate, French vanilla, strawberry, and peppermint, are used to flavor coffee drinks, sodas, and teas. The company also produces dessert sauces, smoothie bases, frozen beverage mixes, and sugar-free syrups. R. Torre & Company, Inc. received the President's "E" Award for its export program. A committee of public and private sector members reviewed 20 nominations for the award and selected Torani as one of its recipients.[9] The clients of R. Torre & Company, Inc. include CPWM specialty/import retail stores and UNFI, an independent national distributor of natural and organic foods, specialty foods, and related products in the United States. Chicken 'N Waffles syrup—which started as a joke—has become a real product.[10][11] Torani has started working with World Pantry and New Carbon.[12] Melanie Dulbecco is CEO of R. Torre & Company since 1991. She is the first CEO from outside the Torre family.[13][14]

References
  1. SEC (February 1, 2012). "R. Torre & Company, Inc". insideview.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  2. "R. Torre & Co Inc Information from". CareersInFood.com. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  3. "Torani". Lead411.com. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  4. SEC (February 1, 2012). "R. Torre & Company Company Profile". hoovers.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  5. "Keep New Year's Resolutions with Sugar Free". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2013-02-02.
  6. Spear, Peggy (December 30, 2009). "Say 'Felice Anno Nuovo' with Italian Sodas". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on 2011-06-21. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  7. Goldstein, Carrie (June 3, 1998). "Torani Keeps It Sweet and Sticky". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  8. Wallace, Alicia (October 5, 2020). "This 95-year-old flavored syrup company found a sweet spot during the pandemic: Your Kitchen". CNN Business.
  9. SEC (February 1, 2012). "Torani garners award for export business". hoovers.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  10. Fleming, Katie (December 22, 2012). "Torani's Chicken 'N Waffles syrup". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  11. Polis, Carey (December 13, 2012). "Taste Test: Chicken 'N Waffles Syrup". Huffington Post.
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2012-12-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. Forum, Leadership (April 19, 2012). "Loyalty to Your Underlings Can Be a Terrible Thing". Forbes.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2012-12-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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