“When I saw the brand and tasted the product in New York, I loved it from the first moment,” recalled Asher. “I’m a coffee drinker, myself; I drink coffee three or four times a day. When I tried it, it made me feel different; it was different from the coffee I was drinking every day. Also, because I grew up in Europe, it brought me back to what I was used to. When you compare American coffee to European coffee, it is much different. It’s another experience. Another reason why I opened Filicori is because I really enjoy the interaction with all the different types of people that it leads me to meet.

The Filicori Zecchini brand is actually close to 100 years old. It was borne when Aldo Filicori and Luigi Zecchini opened a small workshop in the center of Bologna, Italy, in 1919, and oversaw their entire coffee production from the importing of sacks of green coffee beans to the brewing of their inimitable authentic Italian Espresso. Since Filicori Zecchini opened its atypical franchising concept up to the public in 2005, it has grown so that it is now sold to more than 8,000 locations throughout the world in over 30 countries--including such locales as Israel, Romania, Russia, France, Spain, Mexico, Greece and Sweden. They are mostly small coffee shops that primarily sell coffee

Last year, Asher opened up his first Filicori Zecchini location on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, on Broadway and 95^th. It is the only one of the brand’s seven locations in Manhattan that is kosher. The Towson coffee shop is kosher-certified by Rabbi Y. Zvi Weiss. Asher is already looking to expand and add locations in Maryland--in downtown Baltimore (which is almost a done deal) and in Columbia--as well as in Delaware and New Jersey.

“Because I have many businesses located around Maryland and Delaware, I decided to bring the Filicori Zecchini concept to Maryland,” says Asher, who opened his second location, in Towson, this week. “The idea is to bring a high end quality coffee--different than what people usually know--as well as the European feeling and style. Everything in the coffee shop is made in Italy. The bar, the chairs, and many of the products are made there, too. Although Filicori is primarily a coffee shop and the food on the menu is not our main business, when I saw there was a lot of interest in the food, from customers--especially from my Jewish customers--I decided to add sandwiches, salads, and bakery items, such as bagels and croissants, to the menu.”

If a cup of Joe is not your cup of tea, Filicori Zecchini offers high-end Filicori Zecchini teas and cocoas, too. In addition, the menu features reasonably priced breakfast choices of a variety of sandwiches served on bagels and croissants, Feuillet (filled puff pastry), oatmeal, and strawberry parfait; lunch choices include a variety of freshly made sandwiches and salads. Its bakery offerings include a choice of a variety of muffins, Danishes (including cheese), and other treats that are all freshly baked every morning. Both hot and cold drinks, including Espresso, Macchiato, Cartado, Cappuccino and Lattes--available with standard milk, almond milk or soy milk, are also on the menu. Many of the products served, like sandwiches, are cholov Yisroel. Cholov Yisroel products are listed in the shop.

Filicori Zecchini is not Asher’s first and only business. When he was 17 years old, he returned to the U.S. from France and started to work as a salesman for a cosmetics company. At 20, he started his own cosmetics business, opening several mall kiosks. He presently owns five cosmetic stores-- the most recently opened one in the Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan--and the wholesale company that creates the product, itself, which is sold to other companies. With businesses in New York, Baltimore, and other cities in between, Asher lives half of the time in New York and the other half of the time in Baltimore.

“Since Filicori Zecchini is not exactly a franchise--although some products are supplied from the parent company--we are basically looking to build up and grow the brand based on the product; we have more freedom to do so since it is not a regular franchise,” shares Asher. “We bring something different to the table. It’s an exclusivity. You cannot only taste the difference, but feel the difference with the Filicori Zecchini experience. We bring something unique--extra good service to give the personal feeling to the customer. That is our goal--to grow a brand that is going to grow and bring a unique experience to our customers--an experience much different than they might have gotten used to at other coffee shops, until now. It takes time, but that is really what we want to do. The product is really premium. We are spending and investing a lot of time to bring great customer service, quality, freshness, and high-end products--but we also have an amazing product.”

Filicori Zecchini is located on the third floor of Towson Town Center, in front of GAP and next to Nordstrom.  It is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.