Meinl Export

Unbelievable but true

Future needs tradition: The long-standing tradition at Julius Meinl is a source of numerous stories and accomplishments, which have to be told in order not to be forgotten. Here’s a small selection of our accomplishments:

In 1862 Julius Meinl I. opened his first store selling spices as well as green coffee beans, tea, cocoa, sugar and rice. In those times roasted coffee was not available for purchase anywhere as green coffee was roasted at home on the kitchen stove.
Meinl’s Idea: To offer freshly roasted and ready-to-use coffee blends in larger quantities.
After countless experiments Julius Meinl perfected the art of industrially roasting coffee in 1877, starting the revolution of coffee culture in Vienna.
Demand for the ready-to-use roasted coffee was large. Julius Meinl became famous and was known as Vienna’s best coffee roaster.
Vienna’s Coffeehouses highly valued the Julius Meinl coffee they sold to their customers – that’s how the high quality of Meinl coffee positively influenced the world-wide reputation of Viennese Coffeehouse Culture.
Around 1901 Julius Meinl started to award licenses to merchants who wanted to sell Meinl goods in their stores - a system similar to today’s franchises.
In 1906 Julius Meinl II founded the „Private kaufmännische Fortbildungsschule“, a private business training school for Julius Meinl apprentices and trainees.
Julius Meinl recognized the importance of internal communication for the motivation of his employees: The first employee magazine was printed in 1907.
In 1921 Julius Meinl II started to operate three restaurants (one in Prague and two in Vienna).
In 1922 Julius Meinl established the „Landwirtschaftliche Industrie-Aktiengesellschaft“ on his 800 hectare farm in Lower Austria. The fruits and vegetables harvested at the farm were used to produce canned fruits and preserves.
In 1923 Julius Meinl II founded the „Spar- und Kreditverein der Angestellten und Freunde der Julius Meinl AG“, a savings bank, predecessor of today’s Meinl Bank.
In 1926 Julius Meinl’s liquor range consisted of 21 different spirits.
In 1928 Julius Meinl established its own market research department, the „Forschungsinstitut des Meinl Konzerns“
Julius Meinl supplied coffee houses and other food and beverage outlets with coffee and tea via mail order and through the many Meinl stores. In 1932 Julius Meinl was the first company to introduce the 5 day week with 43 instead of 48 hours. The voluntary services provided by the Meinl company to its employees surely is one of the reasons for immense employee loyalty – 45 or 50 years with Julius Meinl was not an uncommon time then.
In 1956 Julius Meinl introduced a innovative new product: 100% instant soluble coffee in a vacuum tight tin.
In 1963 Julius Meinl started showing TV commercials: In five different commercials Julius Meinl advertised coffee, tea, oil, and chocolates. In 1972 the Meinl Gourmet Store opened its doors and also offered catering services.
In 1992 some Meinl stores were equipped with debit card readers for Meinl debit cards.

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