Moleskine opens first Italian café in Milan's Brera district

Moleskine has opened its first Italian café in Milan, located at Corso Garibaldi 65 in the Brera Design District. The move follows the success of its first Moleskine Cafè, which opened last year at Geneva Airport. CEO Arrigo Berni had described that initial venture as "a contemporary alternative to Starbucks," targeting travelers who typically buy Moleskine products. The 80-square-meter Geneva location, situated after check-in, performed well enough to justify expansion. The Milan café's concept was developed by Interbrand, a design and brand identity consultancy, which opted for neutral, simple furnishings accented with color and sketch-like decorations reminiscent of Moleskine's iconic notebooks. The café offers coffee in partnership with Milanese roaster Sevengrams, along with breakfast, light meals, aperitifs, and brunch. It features a product corner, ground-floor space for exhibitions and workshops, a mezzanine lounge area, and outdoor seating. Berni explained the rationale: "We followed retail market trends and the growth of cafés as alternatives to online spaces to offer a 360-degree brand experience." Moleskine's notebooks have counted Vincent van Gogh and Ernest Hemingway among their users.