Kona Coffee: Success Despite the Odds

Posted by llake on March 27th, 2007

Late last year I wrote about a coffee shop near me called Kona Coffee. I had no idea how they would make it. Access was difficult and hours were sparse. One morning I ventured to Kona Coffee because the line at Starbucks was too long and I had to have my morning java fix quickly.

I had no idea that the coffee I was about to acquire would enlighten me on how this coffee shop would make it despite the the predicting odds.

The coffee gained my loyal morning visit and the guy that greets me with a smile every morning sealed the deal. There was a time that I could walk into Starbucks and the barista would begin to prepare my morning jolt. As time went on Starbucks became too busy to provide the personal touch and well the coffee compared to that of Kona was simply not up to par.

I wish Kona would expand their hours to include Monday morning before 10 a.m., but until he does I’ve vowed my loyalty from Tuesday through Saturday.

The little guy greets me every morning with a smile and the question “Your regular?” I simply nod. Last Saturday he even gave my son a free vanilla frappucino…now that’s service! Not the “free” part because I didn’t mind paying, but the recognition of loyalty to his shop and the occassional perk that goes a long with that.

Keep it up Kona and you’ll continue to expand your hours and your staff so that you aren’t the only guy behind the counter!

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james dipadua said,

May 7, 2007 @ 1:55 pm

i only go to starbucks as a last-resort.

the coffee is purely mediocre. the service is okay but they’re always so full of people getting “frilly desert-like drinks”, it’s absolutely no surprise they cannot provide the kind of service necessary to build true brand loyalty. true brand loyalty at a coffee shop will invariably require that the baristas know how to pull a shot of espresso–and pushing a button for the number of shots is a great way to insure that the “barista” is really just a “burger flipper.”

Hawaii Vacation Gifts said,

May 15, 2007 @ 8:26 am

Aloha,
I just wrote two posts, one on the popularity of Starbucks in Hawaii and how Kona coffee is not their best seller, and the other on how the farmers on the big island of Hawaii are fighting to keep their kona coffee name from being associated with mediocre kona coffee blended products.

Kona Coffee Beans said,

June 22, 2007 @ 10:03 am

Way to go! Starbucks just can not compete with premium coffees like Kona. If served with a smile and personal tuch, that’s even better!!!

Clara Walters said,

February 2, 2008 @ 12:11 am

I went diving off the big island a few years ago. Having never been to Hawaii, it was a treat beyond belief! While touring, we stopped at a place that grew and sold Kona coffee. That coffee was the living end for flavor! I brought some back and rationed it until it was gone. There has never been any like it and we would love to purchase more Kona…it brews heaven in a cup! Clara

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