We explore three specialty-coffee shops on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
BY MICHAELA TOMCHEK
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Featured photo by Michaela Tomchek
In part one of this article series, we began our adventure through the Big Island of Hawai’i by exploring a handful of noteworthy coffee farms. Today, we continue our look at the Big Island’s specialty-coffee scene by highlighting three of its many exceptional cafés.
The Big Island is full of natural wonders: rugged landscapes, amazing skies, and unique beaches—and coffee is a must when wandering around this spectacular place. Rent a Jeep to venture through Kona, Hilo, and the wilderness of this fantastic island, and be sure to check out these shops during your journey.
HiCO
Trendy Kailua-Kona café HiCO is a great place to kick off your Big Island coffee adventure. The shop originally started as a coffee cart in 2019, with the mission of sharing 100% Hawai’ian coffee with the surrounding community. The shop works with local farmers to source their coffee, and the space is warm and welcoming: filled with color and art. HiCO also regularly runs volunteer beach cleanup programs, to protect the natural areas of the Big Island.
While the café offers an incredible selection of espresso (all brewed with Big Island-grown coffee), the shop also boasts an exciting list of specialty drinks, including lattes flavored with ube (purple yam) and haupia (Hawai’ian coconut pudding). Sit inside the shop amongst the vibrant decor or out on the patio to enjoy your coffee while feeling the delicate Kona breeze.
White Nene Coffee Roasters
In the town of Kailua-Kona, embedded in the lush hills of Kona, you’ll find the quaint coffee trailer White Nene Coffee Roasters. The shop was named after the state bird of Hawai’i and was founded by Mark Kove, who was born and raised in Kona. In 2005, Mark suffered a serious accident that left his lower extremities partially paralyzed, but despite this challenge, he has been able to pursue his passion for coffee at full force. After a visit to South Korea reignited his longtime dream to open a café, Mark set out to open up his own coffee shop and roastery in his hometown.
With faith and his ohana, Mark was able to find success with White Nene. There’s a consistent line of eager customers that wraps around the coffee trailer, and as a licensed Q Grader, Mark has become well-known in the Hawai’ian coffee community, roasting his coffee in small batches on his Mill City 3KG and an Ikawa Pro50.
“Every year, we’re making small steps in growing (Hawai’i’s) specialty-coffee scene,” Mark says when discussing White Nene’s mission to strengthen the Big Island coffee world. He explains that, while the competition coffee being grown on the Big Island is gradually improving, there’s still a long way to go for Hawai’i’s specialty coffee to be recognized on a global scale.
“I believe that we all feel a responsibility to continue to draw more people into specialty coffee, since Big Island-grown coffee has so much to offer to the world,” Mark says. “All of us are actively involved with competitions, sponsoring events, and facilitating latte art throwdowns and public cuppings. We’re a small group, but (we’re) putting our best effort to bring changes to our coffee scene.”
Big Island Coffee Roasters
If you spent the morning at Mauna Kea and are heading to Hilo in the northeast for some Hawai’ian ice or lunch, be sure to make a stop at Big Island Coffee Roasters. Since its launch, the roastery has won many awards and accolades for its coffee, including its Pink Bourbon that won in 2013 at the Hawai’i Coffee Association Statewide Cupping Competition—the first win from Puna.
The coffeehouse offers a wide variety of coffee: batch-brewed, cold brew, espresso, and more. A standout menu item is the “Hawai’i Coffee Flight,” through which you can sample Hawai’ian coffees centered around your flavor profile of choice: dark and deep, or bright and sweet. Other notable offerings include the Honu Turtle Mocha—espresso with chocolate, caramel, milk, and a sprinkle of sea salt—and Mamaki tea: earthy and naturally sweet nettle tea.
The Future of Hawai’ian Coffee
These three coffee shops represent only a small part of the incredible specialty-coffee world found on the Big Island. As these establishments work to gain global recognition for the Hawai’ian specialty-coffee scene, we can’t wait to see what other café gems pop up in the future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michaela Tomchek finds coffee an important part of life and the world. She is an appreciator of the crop, the producer, and the many cafés throughout the world serving beautiful beverages. Currently, she writes about coffee, hoping to spread her joy across the globe.
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