Luigi Cascarini
Luigi Cascarini was born in Italy and immigrated to Swansea where he became a local businessman and entrepreneur. Early years Cascarini was born in Abruzzo and in 1898 he left Italy intending to travel to America. He worked his way across Europe until he reached Le Havre, where he boarded a coal steamer bound for Swansea Arrival in Swansea Cascarini found that in Swansea there were no cafés that provided industrial workers, who were employed in the Swansea Valley and the munitions factory in Bridgend, with food and refreshments on their way to and from work. He decided to open a café that would be open all day offering refreshments for working people. Establishment of first café In order to start the business Cascarini took a loan from an Italian friend. With this capital he opened a general food store on the High Street in Swansea. The shop opened at 4am each day and became a success, leading to the opening of another five cafés around Swansea, including cafés at Fabian Way and St Helen’s Road. In 1922 Cascarini brought his eldest son, Joe, from Abruzzo to Swansea in order to run the café located at St Helen’s Road. Ice