Our History
Originally from Scotland, Alba Coffee is a family-owned and operated business founded by Ian Craig.
Ian’s love affair with coffee started back in 2003 when Ian and Adam visited Santa Venerina, Sicily. They were introduced to the Raciti family who owns Ionia coffee roasters. The hospitality and warmth extended to him and his son is something that he will never forget. It was here that Ian was first shown the coffee roasting process, from raw beans to the final packaging. He still remembers the intensity of the fresh coffee aromas and the resulting beautiful crema on the fresh Italian espresso.
On returning home to Scotland, Ian decided to expand his already successful office equipment company with an office coffee service division specializing in importing this fantastic Sicilian coffee and serving espresso based drinks throughout offices in central Scotland.
Did you know….that Alba means Scotland in Gaelic?
The Craig family had been vacationing in Tampa for over 25 years and decided one bleak February Scottish morning; the time had come to move permanently to the Sunshine State. After selling his business in Scotland, Ian decided to use his experience and skill to further his passion with coffee, opening a coffee shop in Carrollwood along with his wife, Fiona. It was here that Ian in partnership with local Roasters perfected his profiles of coffee.
His son Adam joined the family business in 2012 after graduating from the University of Tampa. With his son by his side, Ian decided to venture into office coffee. He saw an opening in the market for gourmet quality coffee in the office environment. Combining his vast experience in the office equipment business and his growing passion for coffee, Ian was determined to change the landscape of office coffee. Ian understood that the modern workplace is evolving and that providing quality coffee to the workforce is now a necessary component to a successful business environment.
The indescribable experience of tasting the perfect coffee should not be confined to the home or retail shop, but also made available to the modern workplace.
The rest is history and Alba Coffee now sits as the biggest family-owned bean to cup office service supplier in Tampa. Supplying coffee machines and service to hundreds of companies across Tampa Bay and beyond, from small businesses, only employing a handful of people, to Fortune 500 companies employing thousands.
Alba Coffee is aware that to continue its success, it has to never forget the principles it was founded on.
Its quality product combined with an unmatched prompt and friendly service will always be the foundation of Alba Coffee. The Alba team is committed to ensuring that they always maintain the can-do culture which has served them and Tampa Bay so well in the past decade.