Mocca Negra is going strong

Mocca Negra Zrt. is going to be 30 years old next year. How did the story of Bravos coffee start?

Péter Szabó: – When Bravos was launched there was no vacuum-packed coffee in the domestic market, people went to Austria to buy it. I bought coffee roasting and grinding machines in Western Europe and came out with the first 1kg vacuum-packed ground coffee in Hungary, which proved to be an absolute winner.

Péter Szabó Jr.: – Actually the 1kg ground coffee product is something special, as it isn’t available elsewhere in Europe.

Péter Szabó Jr., Péter Szabó, Balázs Szabó

Did it come naturally that your two sons started working for the company?

Péter Szabó: – Absolutely, even though I never pushed them in that direction, I believed that sooner or later they will join the Mocca Negra team.

Balázs Szabó: – We didn’t have much choice… (laughs)

Péter Szabó Jr.: – Balázs and I both used to play water polo and this gave us some kind of composure, an attitude that only those can make progress in the world who perform. Meanwhile I earned a university degree and decided to make the company my priority.

What values did you bring from home?

Balázs Szabó: – We never give and think that everything is possible, all you need to do is give your best. We learned a lot from watching how our father runs the company day by day.

Péter Szabó: – When the boys started working for the company, they started at the bottom, carrying the coffee bags into the warehouse from the trucks.

Generation change is a difficult process for many companies, but I feel no tension whatsoever in your case…

Péter Szabó Jr.: – There is no tension here because our father didn’t interfere in operative matters in the last 8-10 years. He is the company’s owner, but there has always been a managing director too. It was evident that I would take over the company and Balázs had no problem with this. My attitude is youthful, dynamic and pro-active, and I believe in team work very much.

The small business that you had started evolved into a large company. How do you still have the family atmosphere?

Péter Szabó: – Partly because we are reliable: we always keep our promises. Some of the workers have been with us from day one.

Balázs Szabó: – Out attitude towards people matters a lot too. We know everyone by name and are familiar with every problem…

Péter Szabó Jr.: – The company keeps growing, but we make an effort to preserve the intimate atmosphere. We really are like one big family.

With the Mantaro brand you entered the premium coffee segment. This is a completely new direction for the company.

Péter Szabó Jr.: – The Bravos brand is a success story, but our recent innovation work has made it clear: what Bravos has achieved isn’t enough for the buyers of premium coffees to put their trust in it. This is the reason why we decided to bring our Mantaro brand – which is already well-known and successful in the HoReCa channel – into the premium segment of the retail channel.

What are your medium- and long-term plans?

Péter Szabó: – Expansion in the Hungarian and international market, as we are selling lots of coffee in the markets of Ukraine, Romania and Slovakia, and we are already in talks in Serbia. In the long run, we plan to enter the Western European market.

Balázs Szabó: – In HoReCa everything is always changing, but we believe in innovation work. We want to sell even ‘more premium’ products.

Péter Szabó Jr.: – The transformation of consumption habits motivates us to make progress and to keep innovating. We continue looking for new opportunities in the export market, in both branded product and private label manufacturing. //