Is the La Spaz Vivaldi II with the new improvements only sold at Chris Coffee? I have seem the Vivaldi at other dealers and they seem to be the older model. Can anyone enlighten me?

Brett P

podo98 wrote:Is the La Spaz Vivaldi II with the new improvements only sold at Chris Coffee? I have seem the Vivaldi at other dealers and they seem to be the older model. Can anyone enlighten me?

Brett P

Chris Coffee and LaSpaziale developed the Vivaldi II together and Chris Coffee is the exclusive distributer of it. From my understanding other dealers can sell it, but they need to go through Chris Coffee in order to do so. These guys sell it as well: http://www.greatinfusions.com

Hi all,

That is correct - Chris is the sole importer of the Vivaldi II & he has put a lot of work and thought into the development of the unit (anyone who has worked with Italian business can appreciate his work). We at Great Infusions distribute some of Chris's imports including the Vivaldi II.

Hope that helps...

Also - this summer I will be opening a showroom in Santa Cruz CA with a demo model of this and other awesome equipment. The store name is Coffee Beanery & Espresso Machinery and we will have roasted beans green beans, tea and all of the sweetest equipment home roasters and accessories.

Great news! I might have to make a pilgrimage out to Santa Cruz this summer to check it out.

greatinfusions wrote:Also - this summer I will be opening a showroom in Santa Cruz CA with a demo model of this and other awesome equipment. The store name is Coffee Beanery & Espresso Machinery and we will have roasted beans green beans, tea and all of the sweetest equipment home roasters and accessories.

That's a ballsy move. What persuaded you that your "customers" wouldn't just use you as a showroom for their online, tax-free purchases?

Marshall wrote:That's a ballsy move. What persuaded you that your "customers" wouldn't just use you as a showroom for their online, tax-free purchases?

That's an insightful question Marshall. If there were enough profit margin, which for equipment I've been told it's rather tight, a "credit" that equals sales tax of about 8%, and a "free shipping" policy on orders over a reasonable amount might equal the field for a West Coast re-distribution point. Another approach to leveling the field with on-line competitors is to include, at no charge, accessories. A few other on-line equipment dealers buy from Chris and manage to include shipping. My reason, residing in SoCal, for buying from Chris was that I perceived him as being the "guru" on the S1. Had I the opportunity to purchase closer to home and get the same "value package" including technical support, I certainly would have. As the Master Distributor on the S2, Chriscoffee benefits either way. Of course, selling through a jobber diminishes his gross margin, but it all gets back to 10% of something is better than 100% of nothing. I'm looking forward to stopping in Santa Cruz on my travels and visiting this new facility.

Best, Al

I think it's a great move. Many people don't pull the trigger on huge purchases sometimes because they can't see the machine in the flesh, this will give them the opportunity to go somewhere and test drive it.
I'm paying him a visit as soon as he opens shop in Santa Cruz, it's less than an hour drive for me but I'd drive at least twice the distance easily to see coffee equipment.
I've bought many cups from Great Infusions, I'd love to see what other goodies he has to offer in person.
There's a lot more coffeegeekers in the bay area than you think...



BTW, the new Vivaldi II is not an S2, it's still an S1.

Niko wrote:I think it's a great move. Many people don't pull the trigger on huge purcahses sometimes because they can't see the machine in the flesh, this will give them the opportunity to go somewhere and test drive it. I'm paying him a visit as soon as he opens shop in Santa Cruz, it's less than an hour drive for me but I'd drive at least twice the distance easily to see coffee equipment. I've bought many cups from Great Infusions, I'd love to see what other goodies he has to offer in person. There's a lot more coffeegeekers in the bay area than you think... BTW, the new Vivaldi II is not an S2, it's still an S1.

Niko, nice to see your post. Last time we exchanged was around Christmas '06. Between you, Jon Bauer and Doug Jamieson, I now know at least "3" certified coffee types in The City proper. I keep threatening to return, as I must on business, and have an open invitation to join Doug and visit that super-steller cart location in the alley, near Downtown SF.......(you'll have to excuse me as I can't remember the name, but bet you know it. It's #2 of 2?)

Competing with internet retailers is tough. I went to Circuit City today and looked at the Sony 400 disk DVD-CD player. They're at $430 with tax and Amazon has vendors that can ship anywhere in the US for $320 total; go figure how anyone can stay open? As for the coffee equipment, and especially for commercial clients, the service side is so critical. For home users, and none commercial gear, it's still nice to have a parts and service depot close; if for no other reason than to have a showroom full of grinders, accessories and espresso machines. When I was a kid, one of the local hangouts was the neighborhood hobby shop. Nothing like a plastic model to consume a weekend. But with a coffee hobby, I've not really found a great consumer "toy store" in the L.A. area. Closest I have is a combination of Smart and Final and Restaurant Depot for condiments and some restaurant supplies, and a few commercial espresso distributors. Problem is, they really don't cater to home setups. Maybe Marshall knows of a store in the SoCal area? I've been to Sovrana Store in Gardena, but Umberto is really a vendor to the trade. Seeing Wholelattelove's and Chris' showroom setup on the internet, I'm a bit envious. It's like the discount camera store scene back in the 70's and 80's. All the incredible bargains and discount retailers, outside of Frank's Camera in Highland Park, CA, were located on the East Coast.

Best, Al

Al,
Those were the good ol' days...

Drop me a PM on this forum or on the LaSpaz forums next time you're in town so we can have a shot with those guys.

I've been following the thread on the new MACAP electronic doserless here. I just got a Mazzer doserless a few months ago to partner up with my MACAP doserless but this new one looks tempting. Time to sell the old MACAP soon...

Anyways, back to the shop opening in Santa Cruz. Let me say this, if I had a chance to pick up a Vivaldi S1 locally in person, I would go this route over mail order ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. I don't care if I pay taxes or even a little extra for the purchase, it saves the machine from shipping damages and I get to inspect it before it goes into my house. All that is worth a little extra $$ to me.