Family-owned coffee company launches at H-E-B in Brownsville

Brew a better cup of coffee and the world will beat a path to your door.

That’s the theory behind Albisola Coffee Co., a small, family-owned firm that opened its first coffee bar Jan. 1 inside the H-E-B at FM 802 and Paredes Line Road, and is set to open locations at H-E-Bs in McAllen and Laredo.

Guillermo Chapa Jr., Albisola’s CEO, says the idea for the company grew out of an earlier venture: selling and servicing high-end coffee machines from the Italian manufacturer HLF. Chapa’s clients include Brownsville public libraries, Oasis Salon, Suites & Spa in San Antonio and the First Baptist Church in Carrollton.

The enterprise became sufficiently demanding that Chapa was forced to make a tough decision: give up his day job teaching high school special education to concentrate on the business full time. It was a big leap, though Chapa’s wife, Lupita, who does the books for Albisola, stood behind him. Chapa made a cold call to H-E-B and convinced store director Tom Linville to ride with him to the library to sample a cup of HLF coffee. Linville was impressed and allowed Chapa to lease space in the store’s deli area.

"We passed the test with flying colors," Chapa says. "We were able to dovetail just beautifully with H-E-B. It’s been a great success. We’ve been very fortunate. But they didn’t let us in there because they liked us. They let us in there because we had a great thing. We took a machine and created something more."

The firm also was invited to install an HLF machine in H-E-B’s corporate cafeteria in San Antonio, where store directors from all over could sample the product. HLFs come in a range of models, with commercial-grade machines costing thousands of dollars. HLFs are common in Europe and Australia but rare in the United States.

The machines Chapa uses at H-E-B can make 12 types of coffee, using Albisola’s blend of Brazilian and Colombian beans, which the machine grinds fresh for each cup. Six types of decaf are available as well.

Chapa expects the McAllen location to open soon with Laredo not far behind. The company’s name, Albisola, comes from the town in northern Italy that produced the family’s ancestors, "Chapa" being a variation on the original surname, "Schiappa."

Chapa’s first experience in business was working alongside his father in the medical equipment industry. Now Chapa’s own son, Guillermo "Jelly" Chapa III, works alongside his father in the family coffee business.

Chapa concedes it’s not the best time to start a new business given the state of the economy, though he hopes Albisola’s success encourages others to follow their dreams, whatever they are.

"I would love to encourage others to not be in fear," he says. "Economies go up and down, but now’s the time to do something. If you’ve got a story that needs to be told, tell it. If you’ve got something that needs to be done, do it. We are not scared. We know what we can do. We found the great cup of coffee."

Linville says Albisola has a consistent, reasonably priced, high-quality product, while the firm itself fits well within the H-E-B culture of treating customers well.

"They’re outstanding, quite honestly, with the way they perform on a daily basis," he says. "We’re happy with his performance and especially with the reception from customers."

Rob Ybarra, director of new business and food service for the H-E-B chain, calls Chapa’s company "a great success story," and didn’t rule out the addition of Albisolas in more H-E-Bs.

"Nothing is impossible," he says. "Never say never. This guy’s proven himself in Brownsville. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in McAllen and Laredo. It’s a family run business. He’s a straight shooter and I think he’s a stand-up guy and I really like doing business with him."