1954
Hardy, coffee for the bold
It begins with the Maja brothers acquiring the Hardy brand from Faema and building a roastery tied to the counter, bars and a Milan learning to move fast again.
Our story
A journey that began in the Fifties.
The Hardy story begins in 1954, in a Milan profoundly different from today's. Three brothers acquire the Hardy brand and roastery from Faema and begin building a presence tied to bars, the counter and Milanese espresso culture.
From brand to family
The first cup, the city, the professional bar.
It all starts with a simple gesture: serving good coffee in a Milan finding its stride again. Hardy soon becomes a recognisable mark because it combines blend, service, presence in venues and hands-on care for the professional relationship.
1960
From private bar to company
The focus shifts from a single counter to a wider structure. Hardy grows alongside Milanese venues and becomes more than a small local roastery.
1990
A new generation joins the business
Family history becomes daily craft: on-the-job training, operational responsibility and managerial continuity. Hardy keeps its bond with Milan while building a more structured presence.
2006–2015
New markets, new era
With expansion into foreign markets and a renewed visual identity, Hardy strengthens its presence beyond Italy. Expo Milano becomes an opportunity to tell the brand in a more contemporary way without losing roots or style.
Today
A new board leads Hardy — the Coffee of Milan
A new Board of Directors is at the helm. Work continues on classic blends, organic coffees, specialty coffee, training, professional products and export markets, with one clear goal: to bring the taste of Milan into every cup.
Our values
We let you taste the atmosphere of the city of fashion, wellbeing and success.
Vision and mission are not two slogans on the wall. They are how Hardy connects Milan, product, service and the professional relationship.
Swipe
Vision
To let the taste of Milanese coffee be enjoyed worldwide, bringing into every cup a simple, recognisable, everyday elegance. We want to create moments of warmth and good humour over an exciting coffee that turns a pause into a small shared ritual.
Mission
We innovate Milanese coffee tradition with blends, service and training designed for those who work at the counter every day. We strive to keep alive in the third millennium the social tradition of fabulous, passionate Sixties Milan, pausing time over a coffee that smells of history.
Hardy’s new headquarters in Assago (Milan)
Three generations
Family continuity, service culture and a Milan that stays present.
I
First generation
The Maja brothers
They founded the Hardy story in 1954 by acquiring the brand from Faema and building a roastery tied to the counter, bars and a Milan getting back up to speed.
II
Second generation
Continuity
They consolidated distribution in Lombardy and opened the brand to foreign markets, turning a city presence into a broader Italian story.
III
Third generation
A new board at the helm
They carry the brand forward with new ranges, training, organic blends and a contemporary interpretation of Hardy identity, without separating product from professional service.
It was 1954 when the Maja brothers opened their licensed bar in the “Giambellino”, a historic Milan neighbourhood. Between one coffee and the next, they handed out smiles every day, exchanging a few words with their customers. On a cold late-October morning, the Maja brothers’ idea takes shape: to build a roastery to produce and sell fine coffee blends. To turn their business into a symbol of the city — or rather, into the “roastery of the Coffee of Milan”.
Over seventy years on, the mission is accomplished: Caffè Hardy has turned passion and knowledge into a cultural, commercial and human heritage.