About Us

Our story...

Shawn is a US Army Veteran, a NC native, and a real deal descendant of Blackbeard! Shawn and his wife, Sam, own Sugar Island in Surf City and have been doing business on Topsail Island since the late 90s.

A huge part of our lives has always been about coffee! We’ve been sourcing great coffee and pulling espresso shots for people for a few decades, and roasting coffee has long been one of our interests. Roasting... and doing it right; with the same ideals behind Sugar Island… organic, fresh, sustainable, local, and SMALL.

And while 2020 was an unprecedented and challenging time for everyone, the downtime allowed the concept of Small Craft Coffee to begin. The journey to becoming Topsail Island's first Coffee Roastery was launched with our announcement in New Years of 2021:

Sugar Island Storefront with Tanis and Connor

Every year our family makes small paper boats with a wish written inside and sails them off into the New Year. Small Craft Island Coffee is the answer to one of those long-ago New Year's wishes. Creating a small local coffee business to sustain our family, community, and environment. To pair a fresh, high quality, responsibly sourced product with a personal passion.

You might say it all began hundreds of years ago with our sea-faring pirate ancestors, then a random little boat found at a yard sale; and the rest... well, it's getting ready to be highly caffeinated history!

Small Craft Island Coffee is our line of house-roasted, small batch coffees and espressos. Small Craft green coffee beans are Certified Organic and Fair Trade, "thoughtfully roasted in small batches" in order to achieve the maximum flavor potential in each individual coffee varietal.

About Us

Our story...

Veteran Owned & Pirate Roasted

in Surf City, North Carolina!