While Torani is one of the Bay Area’s most well-known food and beverage manufacturers, it is unlikely that many people know that the company will be celebrating its centennial in 2025. Torani was established in 1925 by immigrants from Lucca, Italy who hand-crafted syrups from their hometown recipes in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. Over the years, the company grew its product offering and has been credited with putting the Italian soda on the U.S. map in the 1920s and creating the first flavored latte in the 1980s.
On July 31, East Bay EDA members and partners were fortunate to be offered an exclusive tour of Torani’s new state-of-the-art “flavor factory,” led by their CEO, Melanie Dulbecco. It was an especially unique opportunity since Torani, a family-owned business with a strong dedication to its workers and community, was East Bay EDA’s 2024 East Bay Innovation Food Awardee. The group, which included Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA 14th District), was able to tour a portion of the 300,000+ square-foot factory, learning about the step-by-step process to creating the 150 flavors they produce in-house. Attendees were also able to do a special taste test of 4 types of vanilla syrups in a hidden speakeasy, that was built as a nod to when Torani added liqueurs and cordials to its portfolio of syrups during Prohibition. We ended the tour with refreshing drinks made with Torani syrups – Strawberry Basil Fizz and Rose Ginger Fizz.
While the company has grown globally, Torani is a certified B-Corp and remains a family-owned business, with a strong dedication to its workers and community. Having outgrown numerous buildings in San Francisco before moving to South San Francisco in the 1990s, when it was time yet again to find a larger facility for them to further scale their production, the company remained devoted to staying in the region, moving its team of over 400 employees and headquarters to San Leandro in 2020. The company is currently on track to surpass $500 million in annual revenue and hopes it could double this figure to $1 billion by 2030.
To learn more about our dynamic, resilient and inclusive manufacturing ecosystem, consider joining us at our upcoming East Bay Manufacturing Summit on October 29 in Fremont. If you are interested in joining our exclusive events, learn more about membership with East Bay EDA and follow us on social media – X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube.
Visit the Torani Tour photo gallery!
