Summer Sevi, a local artist and former elementary art teacher, was in search of great specialty coffee. She paints in a style called “Alla Prima”, which translates to “At first attempt” in Italian. This style involves using oil paint to finish a painting in a short period of time, not allowing the layers to dry in between applications. Because of her teaching schedule, Summer had to paint at night, which meant that coffee was necessary.

Summer, a Pensacola native, had experience in the coffee industry; she previously owned a small coffee shop just outside of Washington, D.C. She wasn’t satisfied with the coffee available in the Gulf Coast region, so she took matters into her own hands. She roasted, drank, painted, and repeated. Her coffee roasting skills improved, and she began giving away her coffee as gifts to family and friends.

The idea to start a coffee roasting company began materializing. In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, Summer decided to open a wholesale roastery. She kept her teaching job, rented out a room in the back of a building in downtown Pensacola, bought her first coffee roasting machine, and began looking for wholesale clients. As the business grew, Summer worked diligently at both jobs until she could no longer hold the balance. In the Fall of 2023, she stepped away from teaching to focus on the coffee business, while simultaneously leasing the cafe space in the front of her roastery. Alla Prima Coffee Roaster is currently a full-service specialty coffee shop and micro roastery offering retail beverages, food, retail bags of coffee, merchandise, wholesale coffee, barista training, roasting classes, local fine art (yes, Summer’s paintings are there!), and more. Follow Summer and Team Alla Prima as they continue this journey to elevate the coffee experience for the Southeast!