Birra Moretti Encourages Americans to Enjoy Lunch Like Italians

NEW YORK, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It may be no surprise to hear that Americans are more stressed than their Italian counterparts and a new study serves up several possible reasons why.  A recent survey conducted by Birra Moretti, Italy's leading beer, points to the conclusion that taking time for lunch may lead to less stress.  

The brand learned that nearly one out of three Americans said they don't ever leave their workplace when it's time to eat lunch.  In comparison, 100 percent of Italians reported taking lunch every single day, 79 percent of which ate lunch outside of the workplace.  In fact, Americans that reported never taking lunch were almost three times more likely to say they were "very stressed" than those that do take lunch.

"Americans notoriously underutilize their time at lunch and instead grab a quick, hurried bite at their desks while simultaneously multi-tasking; of course, this leads to more stress," said Ilco Kwast, Marketing Manager, Birra Moretti.  "However, Italians overwhelmingly embrace their lunch hours.  Our survey found Italians that regularly took 30 minutes or more for lunch were half as likely to be 'very stressed.'

Birra Moretti, as the 'more Italian' beer company, wants to lead by example.  We're hosting a series of cafe experiences to show Americans how we Italians cherish 'il pranzo' – the midday meal where we slow down, enjoy good food, beer and the company of our friends, family and colleagues."

To encourage Americans to get out and enjoy their lunchtime, Birra Moretti will launch Birra Moretti Pop-Up il Pranzo Cafes, a series of summertime lunch events in New York.  The events will offer New Yorkers a chance to relax and enjoy great conversation and great food with friends during il Pranzo (lunch), the most important meal of the Italian day, the way the Italians do.  Access to these exclusive cafes can be purchased through GiltCity, the premiere flash-sale website that offers exclusive and one-of-a-kind lifestyle experiences and services.

A 'More Italian' Lunch Experience

Summer Fridays have officially begun and Birra Moretti plans to make this uniquely American experience a little 'more Italian' with the il Pranzo Cafes.  Each pop-up cafe will take place at a unique venue in New York City and will feature an authentically Italian four-course meal prepared by a notable chef to pair perfectly with Birra Moretti Lager and Birra Moretti La Rossa.  The locations will be designed to resemble a traditional trattoria in Italy and will encourage a long and leisurely lunchtime experience.  Guests can enjoy the good Italian food, a cold Moretti and the relaxing environment with colleagues, family, and friends without any rush – the cafe will open for lunch for four full hours.  

The first of four Birra Moretti Pop-Up il Pranzo Cafe events will take place on June 24, 2011 at The Cabanas at the Maritime Hotel with a menu created by Chef Bart Retolatto of La Bottega. Three more events will take place on Fridays throughout the summer at various New York locations.  Tickets for the first event can be purchased at GiltCity.com/NewYork.  

For more information on Birra Moretti Pop-Up il Pranzo Cafes and to learn about when and where the events will be hosted, visit www.Facebook.com/BirraMorettiUSA or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MorettiBeer.

Survey Results

Highlights from the study commissioned by Birra Moretti include:

• Less than 20 percent of Americans are using the full hour lunch break (16%) they are entitled to; in fact the majority of Americans are spending less than 30 minutes for lunch (61%).
• Almost one in ten Americans (9%) don't take anytime at all for lunch.
• The majority of Americans that never take lunch say they are stressed (60%).
• American men who never take lunch are almost four times more likely to say they are very stressed than those who do (42%/11%).
• American women who never take lunch are more than two times more likely to say they are very stressed (40%/19%).
• Not one Italian said they don't take anytime for lunch.
• Only 14 percent of Italians said they never leave work for lunch.
• The amount of American women (21%) and men (14%) that reported they were very stressed was almost double that of their Italian counterparts (13%/8%).  

For more information on the survey and additional results, contact Arielle Himy at [email protected].

About Birra Moretti

Birra Moretti, a Heineken brand, is a leading imported Italian beer.  The Birra Moretti Brewery was founded in 1859 in Udine, Italy in the Friuli region by a wealthy merchant, Luigi Moretti. The first bottle of Birra Moretti was sold in the summer of 1860 and from the 1970s on, Birra Moretti went from being a Friuli-based beer to an internationally-distributed beer, constantly growing and conquering new fans and admirers. A special production process utilizing the best raw materials and a special blend of high quality hops was used to create the unique, perfectly balanced taste of Birra Moretti Lager and Birra Moretti La Rossa. Because of the characteristics, Birra Moretti matches perfectly with authentic Italian cuisine, like risottos and pasta, white meat main courses and delicately-flavored cheese.

Birra Moretti Lager's alcohol content is 4.6% alcohol by volume, a percentage that makes it ideal for any time of day. It is not a strong beer, which makes it perfect for drinking at lunch, at dinner or for evenings out with friends. Birra Moretti La Rossa's alcohol content is 7.2% alcohol by volume and is a double malt beer produced using 100% high quality barley malt, providing a full, caramelized malt flavor and an intense aroma of roasted malt. Total Beverage Solution imports Birra Moretti in the United States. For more information please visit www.totalbeveragesolution.com or www.Facebook.com/BirraMorettiUSA.

About ORC International

ORC International, an infoGroup company, conducted the research for this project using their CARAVAN omnibus services.  The U.S. portion was conducted from May 19-22, 2011 using a national probability telephone methodology among 971 adult Americans 21 years of age and older (479 men and 492 women).  The Italian portion was conducted from May 20-25, 2011 using a nationally representative online methodology among 1,068 adult Italians 21 years of age and older (520 men and 548 women).

Media Contact:
Arielle Himy
MSL New York
212.468.4246
[email protected]

SOURCE Birra Moretti