Hidden on the bustling Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie in the heart of Paris is a café unlike any other. Le Procope is not just a regular Parisian cafe. Opened in 1686, it is the oldest café still operating worldwide. This place has witnessed over 300 years of history, culture, and countless cups of coffee. Behind this iconic landmark is a talented and visionary F&B entrepreneur, Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli.
From Sicily to the Streets of Paris
Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli was born in Sicily, Italy, in the late 17th century. He is sometimes known as Francesco Procopio Cutò or François Procope. Procope’s grandfather left him a machine to make ice cream. Coltelli experimented with and improved his grandfather’s machine into a high-output gelato maker that he could sell to others. This business sense led him to leave Sicily to look for new opportunities. He trained as a chef in Palermo and then took a chance by moving to Paris around 1670-1674.
A Vision Brews an Idea
Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli wasn’t the first to sell or open a café in Paris. In his early days in Paris, Procopio joined forces with Pascal, an Armenian man with a kiosk selling coffee and lemonade at the St. Germain fair. Pascal was the first person to sell coffee in a public place in Paris and founded an association for beverage makers. Procopio obtained a license to sell beverages, particularly his gelato, during this time. He also learned a lot about the beverage business.
After the fair ended, Pascal opened a small café on Quai de l’École near the Pont Neuf. But maybe because business wasn’t good, Pascal left Paris for London. After Pascal, many other people were selling coffee on the streets of Paris. They invented many ways to market, from shouting in the streets and knocking on doors to opening small cafés. Most were not successful or were only somewhat successful; they didn’t make a significant impact.
Procopio had a keen eye for business. He noticed a difference when he observed how the French merchants organized events at the St. Germain fair. Procopio saw large spaces elegantly decorated with carpets, oversized mirrors, paintings, marble tables, candles, and beautiful lamps. Guests were served tea, coffee, chocolate, and other beverages. These events quickly became gathering places for the upper class, artists, and literary figures.
Before this, the people who went to small cafés were mainly from the working class or were tourists passing through. The upper class and sophisticated artists and writers didn’t want to be seen in such places.
Drinking coffee in public gradually became popular among the Parisian upper class. Still, the market needed a business model that could meet this demand. Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli was the first person to fill that void.
Le Procope: The Birth of a Parisian Icon
Procopio opened Le Procope 1686 on Rue des Fossés Saint-German, later renamed Rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie. In 1689, the Comédie Française theater opened right across from Le Procope. This made Procopio’s café a cultural gathering place for famous people.
Some say that luck came to Le Procope, but that is only partly true. From the beginning, Procopio was not content with just serving coffee. He understood the power of atmosphere and customer experience. Le Procope was an actual French coffee house based on the Eastern model that was popular at the time.
The café had a luxurious design that appealed to upper-class customers. The menu offered not only coffee but also trendy items like gelato and sorbet, along with dishes that were prepared and presented with sophistication. In short, La Procope met the standards of the Parisian elite of the time.
As for the location, the Comédie Française also needed to be in a central area convenient for upper-class customers; it couldn’t be built somewhere far away and deserted. Like the Comédie Française, Procopio chose a prime location for his business.
Le Procope, true to its name, was groundbreaking. The name Procopio comes from the Greek “Προκόπιος” (Prokopios), which means “making progress.”
A Gathering Place for Great Minds and a Witness to History
Under Procopio’s leadership, Le Procope became Paris’s most famous and successful café-restaurant by the end of the 17th century. In addition to its prime location, Café Procope curated a menu beyond French Press coffee, offering delicacies like gelato, liqueurs, and even early sorbet versions. But it was the café’s atmosphere that genuinely set it apart. During the Age of Enlightenment — the Siècle des Lumières — Le Procope became a hub for prominent French actors, authors, dramatists, and musicians. Luminaries such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot were known to frequent the establishment, making it a veritable literary salon.
One foreign name was also often spoken alongside the coffee cups of Café de Procope. Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father of the United States recognized in Europe as one of the world’s leading thinkers during the American Revolution, often visited Le Procope. He came to work on plans for an alliance with Louis XVI and is said to have penned early ideas for the future United States Constitution there. When the distinguished American died in 1790, the French coffee house went into mourning for “the great friend of republicanism.” Inside and out, the walls were draped in black bunting to commemorate Franklin’s political talents and scientific achievements.
During the turbulent days of the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century, one could find figures like Marat, Robespierre, Danton, Hébert, and Desmoulins at Le Procope, sipping coffee or stronger beverages and engaging in debates about the burning issues of the day. Napoleon Bonaparte, then a poor artillery officer seeking a commission, was also there to play chess. It is said that the young Bonaparte once left his hat as collateral when he couldn’t afford to pay for his coffee. That very hat is now on display in the café.
The Legacy of Procopio dei Coltelli
More than 300 years after it first opened, Le Procope continues to welcome guests from all over the world in the heart of Paris’s lively 6th arrondissement in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. While Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie is now bustling with modern life and the Comédie Française is no longer located there, walking into Le Procope is like stepping back in time.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee still lingers, and whispers of the past echo in every corner. It’s a reminder that Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli was not just a coffee seller but a pioneer with a passion and sharp business acumen who created a timeless and legendary café. His story holds valuable lessons for food and beverage entrepreneurs even today.
Procopio dei Coltelli’s legacy extends beyond Le Procope. He is also credited as the father of the beloved dessert gelato, but that is a story for another time.
Reference: All About Coffee, William H. Ukers
