Sergio Costa (coffee)

Sergio Costa (23 April 1949 – 24 March 2022), was a British businessman. In 1971, he founded the coffeeshop chain Costa Coffee with his brother Bruno.

In 1959, Oreste Costa and his family moved from Parma, Italy to the UK, and brought a traditional coffee bean drum roaster with them.[1]

In 1971, Sergio and Bruno Costa opened a small coffee roastery in London's Fenchurch Street, supplying coffee shops and specialist retailers.[2] In 1978, they built a much larger roastery on Old Paradise Street, Lambeth, where they remained until 2017.[2]

In 1981, they opened their first Costa Coffee shop in London's Vauxhall Bridge Road.[2] By 1995, the chain had grown to 41 UK coffee shops, and was acquired by Whitbread. In 2019, The Coca-Cola Company bought the company for US$4.9 billion, and as of 2023, there are 3,401 coffee shops in 31 countries.

He was married to Iolande Bertorelli, and they have three children, Monica, Marco and Tania, all who have been involved in the coffeee business.[1]

He died at his home in Monte Carlo, Monaco on 24 March 2022, aged 72.[3]