This Hawaiʻi shop does coffee like no one else in the world: Photos

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Hawaii (KHON2) — It’s National Coffee Day today, Sept. 29.; and we have something special for you. It’s a place in Hawaiʻi that exclusively serves Hawaiʻi-grown coffee.

Brian Lo, owner/operator of Koana in Mountain View on Hawaiʻi Island, started with one idea: Hawaiʻi coffee should be treated with care and respect. Lo returned to Hawaiʻi Island with his family, and opened Koana in 2019.

Koana only serves coffee and tea that are grown in Hawaiʻi. Everything on the menu comes from the islands. They don’t use sugar or cream because the drinks are meant to show the real flavor of the coffee.

“We got 100% local premium award winning coffee from award winning farms and roasters,” Lo explained. He said he built the menu to show the range of flavors grown across the islands.

Lo opened just before the pandemic. While slow at first, COVID helped shape Koana into a hub for the community. He said that during that time he stayed open most days and focused on the community.

“We become like a cultural hub, in a way,” he said. Volunteers helped him open a nearby community center. Word spread through what Lo calls “the coconut wireless,” not through ads.

In 2022, Koana was ranked #1 in the state by Food and Wine magazine. Recently, Yelp listed the shop #28 in its Top 100 Coffee Shops in the U.S. Lo said the recognition was a surprise.

“We didn’t go for it because I just want to make a good coffee. I want to have a good, vibrant community,” he said.

Serving only local

Lo said he spends months teaching his staff about Hawaiʻi coffee and how to serve people with care. He adjusts the water and the way each cup is made, and he pays close attention to the farms and farmers behind every bean.

“Hawaiian coffee is made with love and shabu present it with love,” he said.

Lo built Koana with recycled and upcycled materials he found in the area. “The shop was built entirely from foam materials from this area, so it feels right,” he said. He wanted the space to reflect the same values as the coffee he serves.

He also leads omakase-style tastings for small groups. Lo said he offers “5 to 7, sometimes nine course, of coffee experience” using different brewing methods and local ingredients like fruit. He designs each tasting so guests can explore how flavor changes from cup to cup.

His goal is “a better understanding, a better and better memory.” He sees the experience as a way to teach and connect, even for locals who want something special, like a date or evening outing.

An artist’s approach

Before opening Koana, Lo worked in art and exhibition design. He said profit on its own does not motivate him.

“If I do a business making profit, making money is not exciting enough,” he said. Coffee lets him connect with farmers, soil scientists and other experts. And this passion allows him to “do Hawaiian coffee justice.”

Even as Koana grows and more people discover this incredibly unique and special approach, Lo keeps the experience personal.

“You can just come by the shop, and drink coffee. You don’t even have to pay me,” he said. Customers often buy beans before they leave. He sees that as part of the aloha spirit he tries to live.

Koana attracts a small but loyal crowd. Lo calls them “the 10% of the 10% of the coffee drinker.” He accepts that running only local beans is costly but believes it matters. He said, “I’m crazy enough to do it.”

You can click here to learn more about Koana.

Koana proves that coffee can be local, careful and rooted in place. For Lo, that is the only way to serve it.