R. Torre & Company, Inc. also known as Torani, is a

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

flavoring syrup and sauce company, founded in 1925 by husband and wife Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre. In 1925 the Torres immigrated from

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

to San Francisco. Mixing flavor with sparkling water in the 1920s, they introduced Italian soda to local cafes, and soon began selling Torani Syrups. Torani's first flavors were Anisette, Grenadine, Lemon, Orgeat or Almond, and Tamarindo. In 1933, when the Prohibition ended, Ezilda Torre became one of the first

rectifiers A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC), which periodically reverses direction, to direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction. The process is known as ''rectification'', since it "straightens" t ...

of distilled spirits in the US. Torani sold products like California Vermouth throughout the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Torani is credited with creating the world's first flavored latte in 1982, combining flavor with espresso and steamed milk. Torani is currently owned by Lisa Lucheta, the granddaughter of founders Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre and led by CEO Melanie Dulbecco. Torani is partly owned by team members through its Employee Stock Ownership Program. The company employs around 400 people. From the late 1990s until March 2020, Torani's headquarters, which include both its business offices and manufacturing facilities, were located in

South San Francisco, California South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is colloquially termed "South City". The population was 66,105 at the 2020 United States censu ...

, until a March 2020 move to San Leandro during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:R. Torre and Company, Inc. Drink companies based in California Food manufacturers of the United States Manufacturing companies based in San Francisco Food and drink in the San Francisco Bay Area 1925 establishments in California Food and drink companies based in California Certified B Corporations in the Food & Beverage Industry Food and drink companies established in 1925