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Barcelona · Spain

Cafés El Magnífico

Since 1962 · Sans family

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Overview

Cafés El Magnífico is a third-generation family business in Barcelona's Born district founded as the Cafés El Magnífico brand in 1962 by the Sans family on the foundations of a 1919 colonial store run by Salvador Sans i Comas's grandfather. Salvador Sans pivoted the business to single-origin sourcing in 1987 after meeting French importer Philippe Jobin in Le Havre, opened the Argentería shop in 1989, and the family acquired Barcelona's historic 1906 La Portorriqueña roaster in 2018.

Known for

  • 1919 colonial-store heritage
  • Spain's specialty coffee pioneer
  • Acquired 1906 La Portorriqueña roaster (2018)
  • Cup of Excellence international tasting judge (Salvador Sans, since 2002)
  • Forum Cultural del Café co-founder (1996)

Why it matters

Lays the groundwork for Spain's modern specialty scene. While Nømad and the new wave (Right Side, Syra, Three Marks, Ineffable) get the international press, El Magnífico established traceable single-origin sourcing in Barcelona well before any of them existed.

Production

destoning
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head roaster
Oriol and Gaspar (production); Claudia Sans Witty (3rd-gen QC and sourcing)
color sorting
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roaster machine
Two Loring roasters (35kg and 70kg)
filter equipment
null
cupping frequency
regular cupping panels with Roest sample roaster
roastery location
Industrial Barcelona (production facility separate from Argentería shop)
espresso equipment
null
annual volume tonnes
null

Café

Carrer de l'Argenteria 64, 08003 Barcelona

Recognitions

  • Cup of Excellence International Sensory Judge (Salvador Sans + Claudia Sans Witty)
  • Falstaff 90 points

Sources

More roasters