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Whether it’s the business world in Tel Aviv or New York City, productivity and success demand long hours and high levels of energy – and so the rich black fuel that both cities depend on is good, strong coffee.

That fuel is particularly tasty in the original Sicaffe espresso bar in the Ramat Hahayal neighborhood of Tel Aviv and, now in its offspring in the Wall Street and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan; a third branch will be opening in the coming weeks in the midtown Garment District.

Sicaffe, like many Israeli espresso bars, has taken the coffee establishment to another level, offering a special blend of rich Italian espresso, the central ingredient in a variety of coffee drinks, accompanied by delicate wraps and hearty sandwiches, and tempting flaky pastries.

These bustling establishments are the handiwork of Emil and Elmar Yosufov -an entrepreneurial pair of brothers who immigrated to Israel with their parents from Azerbaijan in 1994.

They opened their first shop in 1997, when Ramat HaHayal was still primarily a residential neighborhood – before the tall buildings housing Israel’s leading high tech and media companies and television studios were built, and the other coffee places, sushi bars, and restaurants moved in.

“My brother, who loves coffee, had the idea to open a coffee shop from the time we arrived here,” Elmar told ISRAEL21c. “He saw that the really rich Italian coffee hadn’t taken hold here yet.”

Emil, now 38, and Elmar, 35, went on a pilgrimage to Italy, traveling north from Rome on a mission to find the best coffee.

“Our final stop was Trieste, and at the last place we visited there, we found a coffee company called Sandali,” says Emil in a phone conversation from New York. “And it was the best.”