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Massari, whose treats have been served to movie
stars and politicians, has teamed up with Intesa Sanpaolo to add
flavor and life to the grey experience of visiting a bank.
Steps from Milan's Duomo Cathedral, delicate pastries, rich
fruit tarts and multi-colored pates de fruits sweets sit side by
side with counters and cash machines.
"A bank with cakes!" Massari told Reuters. "It's quite a
challenge, but it's also a record as I am the first pastry chef
to open in a bank."
Italian lenders are cutting thousands of jobs and closing
branches, but those that survive are being redesigned to appeal
to clientele from a new generation.
"Having a patisserie in a bank is a great idea, it gives you a
good reason to go the bank," said Milan resident Alfredo Gentili.
Intesa Sanpaolo's partnership with Massari is part of a
500-million-euro push to turn its branches into modern-day
piazzas.
Andrea Lecce, Intesa Sanpaolo's head of marketing, said the aim
was to welcome customers to a "homely and simple" space.
"Sweets and pastries are part of the world of dreams," Lecce
said. "They evoke moments of joy and celebration, and we believe
that we contribute to creating them too -- with home mortgages
and student loans."
The pastry shop is Massari's second, after his outlet in the
northern city of Brescia that has served delicacies since 1971.
Massari said he had been considering opening in Milan for a long
time, and was finally convinced by this idea which he described
as "unique".
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti and Ilaria Polleschi in Milan;
Editing by Edmund Blair)
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