Artefact Specialty Coffee opened on Nov. 12, 2023, in the historic center of Frascati, Italy, at Via Janari 4. Founder Omar Cirulli built the venue to bridge traditional bakery heritage with contemporary specialty coffee. The shop operates as a multiroaster cafe featuring roasts from Italian and international brands. It is approaching its third anniversary while acting as a culture-rich home for vintage machinery.
Restored Machinery Defines the Space
Cirulli’s family history drove the project’s creation. During the pandemic, he began working more with his father, a longtime technician specializing in the repair and recovery of professional bakery equipment. "I began restoring this machinery and rediscovering documents and materials that tell the story of technological and social transformations in the bakery sector," Cirulli said. He wanted to give this heritage a new life and make it accessible to the public. The collection centers on a reconstructed mechanical transmission system dating to the mid-19th century, alongside an early-20th-century refining machine and arm mixer. These items illustrate how power was once distributed through bakery workshops before individual machines had their own motors. Cirulli operates these mechanisms manually to show visitors how the different components move and how the machines worked. They also help explain the evolution of bakery technology, from water-powered systems to steam and, later, electric power. An old bakery worktable has become the counter, while metal racks from traditional trolleys serve as shelving.
Espresso Meets Specialty Coffee
The espresso lineup includes selections from Coffeeriff, a small-batch roastery run by Johnny Lodo in Papozze, Italy. Cirulli prepares espresso on a restored original Faema E61 from the 1960s, alongside La Pavoni Cellini and Europiccola machines. A Eureka Drogheria MCD4 grinder handles the beans. The cafe also offers V60 pourovers from a rotating selection of coffees. Cirulli states that he does not see specialty coffee and traditional Italian espresso as opposing worlds. "Espresso is an important part of Italy’s cultural and social heritage, and it remains central to everyday coffee habits," he explained. Specialty coffee adds another level of attention to the origin of the beans, producers, roasting methods, extraction, and flavor. His brother Mattia, who opened a cafe and pastry shop with partner Valentina during the pandemic, now supplies baked goods to Artefact. Cirulli aims to expand into a larger space to display more of the collection and accommodate public programming. He views growth as strengthening a sustainable model where economic activity helps preserve industrial heritage.
