WE ARE COMING FROM NAPOLI TO LEIDEN
SINT JORISSTEEG 13, LEIDEN NETHERLAND.
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SINT JORISSTEEG 13, LEIDEN NETHERLAND. -
THE BRAND
Giò Neapolitan Espresso was born from the vision of Giovanni Grieco, an entrepreneur born in 1989, with the goal of bringing authentic Neapolitan coffee to the heart of the Netherlands. It is not just a café: it is the story of a family passion, of cherished memories, and of dedication that spans generations.
The idea for the brand has its roots in a vivid moment in Giovanni’s life. At eighteen, during his first solo trip to Amsterdam, he imagined a small kiosk serving the three main coffees from his family’s café. It was an adolescent dream, almost playful, shared with his father, which remained imprinted as a seed destined to grow.
Three years ago, the loss of his father to cancer transformed that dream into a concrete mission. Two weeks later, Giovanni decided to move to the Netherlands, without certainty or resources, but determined to continue a story that began in his family and to turn it into a project that could speak beyond Italian borders.
The brand’s guiding phrase, «Il mondo è più bello con una tazzina di caffè tra le mani», comes from a dedication his sister wrote at their father’s funeral. Every cup served thus becomes an invitation to pause, breathe, and share a special moment, carrying with it the warmth of family and the value of tradition.
Among the brand’s offerings stands out the bun focaccia, born from Giovanni’s mother’s recipe and fused with the famous contemporary Neapolitan pizza dough: a small tribute to family roots, reinterpreted with a modern perspective.
Giò Neapolitan Espresso is the result of dreams, memory, and dedication, ready to move every customer from the very first sip, telling an authentic story in every cup.
WHY LEIDEN?
In Leiden, a welcoming and warm city, Giovanni found a community ready to embrace him, making him feel at home and allowing him to pursue his passion with authenticity. Every encounter, every smile, and every gesture of support reinforced the belief that Giò Neapolitan Espresso was not just a personal project, but a place of connection between people and cultures.
LOGO
INSPIRATION AND VISION
PARTHENOPE
THE FOUNDRESS OF NAPOLI
Parthenope rested upon the waves, and from that breath, Napoli was born. From that sea, even today, arise roots and rebirth.
THE WAVES, THE SEA
THE PULSE OF MOVEMENT, THE BREATH OF STEAM.
On the shores of the Gulf of Napoli sleeps the ancient song of Parthenope, the sea stirs waves that caress my memory, and with every breath it takes, returns a voice that calls me home.
By merging these two elements, the silhouette of the coffee flower comes to life within our logo.
THE FOUNDER
Giovanni Grieco, born in Naples in 1989, is a barista with over twenty years of experience in the coffee industry. After completing his hospitality studies, he began his career at Exitus Café, his family’s coffee shop founded in 1997, where he developed a deep attention to detail and exceptional speed in service, qualities that would become his distinctive hallmark. Over the years, he expanded his expertise in international environments, consolidating a modern approach to management and hospitality. The combination of Neapolitan tradition and a European mindset defines his entrepreneurial approach today. In 2022, following the passing of his father, Giovanni transformed his experience into a renewed vision: to continue the family legacy by creating a project capable of representing Neapolitan excellence in a contemporary way. This is how Giò Neapolitan Espresso was born the culmination of his personal and professional journey, where passion and identity come together in every cup.
THE ORIGIN
EXITUS CAFÈ
It all began in June 1997, in Pozzuoli, Naples, when two friends Giuseppe Grieco and Bartolomeo Terracciano, decided to follow a shared dream: opening a café. With few resources but a great deal of determination, they transformed a tiny nine-square-meter space into a workshop of art, tradition, and dedication. The early years were marked by sacrifice and relentless work, yet also by a passion capable of overcoming every obstacle. Attention to detail, product quality, and the speed of service soon became the hallmarks of Exitus Café, a small miracle that quickly won the heart of the local community. Their original creams and blends turned Exitus into an icon of the Neapolitan espresso culture, a place where tradition met creativity and taste. Today, those same recipes are reinterpreted through a European lens by Giò Neapolitan Espresso, carrying forward the bond between past and innovation, between roots and future. After 28 years, Exitus Café remains a symbol of authenticity and dedication a place where coffee is art, and every cup tells a story. From that legacy was born the vision of Giovanni Grieco, who, with Giò Neapolitan Espresso, transforms a family heritage into an international project devoted to celebrating the culture of Neapolitan coffee.