Our Story
"WE EMPOWER OUR TEAM MEMBERS TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS BY CHALLENGING THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES, ALLOWING THEM TO MAKE DECISIONS, AND BY HELPING THEM EXECUTE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS.”
Our Vision
To be recognized as the premier Farm to Cup coffee company in the world, focused on the ultimate Hawaiian coffee experience while embracing the Spirit of Aloha.
Our Mission
Honolulu Coffee is dedicated to creating an exceptional Hawaiian coffee experience for our customers and guests, committing to sustainability, and supporting the communities that we serve. Honolulu Coffee is committed to the success of our company through continuous improvement, adaptability, and consistently delivering the Spirit of Aloha. It is our mission to exceed the competition and continue company growth by executing the above fundamentals, while also developing people both professionally and personally."
Some information about Kona coffee
Kona coffee is a world-famous export from Hawaii, but like all coffees, has a unique history and defining characteristics. Every cup of Kona coffee you enjoy contains a story, and today we're digging into some of those details to tell you more about its past, present, and future.
So grab of cup of Kona and perhaps learn something new about this wonderful coffee!
1. Coffee is not native to Hawaii
By 1828, coffee had landed on the Big Island by way of Brazil and was first planted in the Hilo area. Later that year, Reverend Samuel Ruggles took some of those seedlings and planted the first-ever coffee trees in the Kona region on the westward volcanic slopes of the Big Island. It was the coffee grown here in Kona that began to attract positive reviews, and thus Kona coffee was born.
In 1892, Kona coffee took a massive leap forward toward what we serve today, when Guatemalan coffee seeds were brought to Hawaii to help bolster the original Brazilian stock. The new varietal, Typica, was one of the old heirloom varieties originally brought to the Americas from Africa when coffee began to be cultivated around the world. Coffee tends to mutate and adapt to its climate wherever it is planted, and this Guatemalan Typica came to be widely grown in Kona and is now considered its own variety, called Kona Typica.
The climate in Hawaii’s Kona region, and the mineral-rich volcanic soils of Mauna Loa’s steep slopes, ensure exceptional conditions for growing some of the world's best coffee.
2. Kona coffee’s legendary status is protected by law
Kona coffee is only grown in an area roughly 6 square miles on the Big Island, in the Kona districts, on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa, making it an exclusive, high-end product--the perfect target, unfortunately, for food fraud.
In 2003, the State of Hawaii issued legislation to regulate the abuse of the Kona coffee name, and has more recently added even stricter standards on the use of Kona coffee in mixed-origin blends.
3. Kona coffee isn’t immune to the worldwide challenges of farming coffee
Today, many Hawaiian farms are exclusively planted with Kona Typica, to which many attribute Kona coffee’s nuanced flavors. Our own farm is planted with about 90% Kona Typica, with the remaining 10% of the crop made up of Caturra and some yellow Typicas.
4. Kona coffee has its own grading system
Our Kona coffee is grown on the slopes of Mauna Loa where the plants receive plentiful rainfall and moderate temperatures, giving them their unique flavor. We then add our own personal touch during the roasting process, focusing on bringing out the inherent fruitiness in a coffee while showcasing its natural sweetness.
Not all Kona coffee is created equal though, and you'll find different grades of Kona coffee in Honolulu. Grades are used to separate coffee by quality.
Kona coffee varieties include:
- Extra Fancy (highest grade)
- Fancy (high grade)
- Kona #1 (mid-grade commonly used in restaurants)
- Prime (lowest grade, but still better than most other coffees!)
These are all considered Type I coffees. That means they came from berries that had two half beans per coffee cherry/fruit.