After purchasing his first drugstore in 1894, Luigi Lavazza began to come up with ideas to revolutionize his line of work, by paying closer attention to coffee and its toasting in particular. The real stroke of genius was mixing different coffee varieties, something that had never been done before and which quickly allowed him to steamroll competition. By 1910 his drugstore's small spaces were no longer enough for his twenty workers, so Lavazza purchased new headquarters in via San Tommaso, 10 and his business took off for good. Lavazza died on August 16, 1949, nearly ninety years old. The following year saw the debut of the first of many successful advertising slogans: "Lavazza, paradise in a cup".