Oh that amazing aroma that awakens our senses and gets us moving each morning…COFFEE! Hawai'i has had its hand in the coffee market for decades. Coffee is actually the second largest crop produced in the islands with over 6,900 acres of land dedicated to this amazing plant. The first recorded planting of coffee on O'ahu was in 1812, but the industry had a rocky start and wouldn’t yield a first production of 248 pounds until 1845. Today, it’s a thriving business.
On our latest trip to O'ahu, we were very pleased to see so many coffee options available throughout the island, however two in particular stand out...one good ole favorite and one new discovery: Green World Coffee Farm and Sunrise Shack Hawai'i.
On the northwest side of the island, at a veritable fork in the road on the slopes of Wahiawā, is a small coffee farm …Green World Coffee Farm. It now sits on land where pineapples once grew. The farm found its new home when the pineapple operations on O'ahu closed in 2009. Seven acres and many years later, the farm and cafe are thriving.
We love our morning coffee and are forever in search of a good cup at every destination, so when we discovered Green World Farm, we had to stop. The bus conveniently stops just a 7 minute walk away from the farm too. As we approached the building, we were greeted by a resident chicken and her chicks...a normal sight on the North Shore. First things first - the coffee sample station, tasting four of their most popular coffees that did not disappoint. With sampling done, we headed out the back door to take a stroll through the coffee garden behind the cafe. Here you get a sense of the various stages of coffee beans on the tree, from the unripe green cherries to the ready-to-pick red ones. It really is a treat to see the trees and cherries up close and personal.
We were there to have coffee, right? So off to the cafe we went. The cafe serves up a full menu of drinks, from lattes and cappuccinos to a good old fashioned cup of joe, and a full array of sweet treats. With lattes in hand, we headed out to the back lawn with a view of the Wai'anae mountain range, the trade winds bringing the sweet scent of the island air with the satisfaction of coffee goals achieved.
We definitely wanted to take some coffee home, so our final stop was the gift shop. You’ll find a good selection of coffee, both whole bean and ground, along with convenient sampler packs if you want to try a variety of flavors. We wanted to sample a few different types to start and discovered that they also ship nationwide and internationally, so you can always order more once you get home. The gift shop also offers some cool locally made items, plus t-shirts, burlap coffee bags, magnets and stickers that had us laughing with their clever expressions as we enjoyed our last drops of coffee.
Several years ago we discovered this cute yellow coffee shack at Shark’s Cove, just as bright as a ray of sunshine to wake you up in the morning...much like their coffee. In the years since four North Shore friends, and Hawaiian pro surfers, opened their first location at Sunset Beach, they’ve grown to five locations on O'ahu. While their specialty bullet coffee might be what drew us there, they offer a delicious menu of superfood smoothie bowls, avocado toast and more. The Papaya Bowl is among our favorite menu items - served in a papaya and oh-so-delicious!
We like to stay at a little place just a few blocks away, so the Sunrise Shack has definitely become a part of our morning routine. As is the norm on the North Shore, there are plenty of chickens too - hungry sneaky chickens and roosters who have an eye on your edible goods at all times. There’s something very cool about enjoying a healthy breakfast and that first morning coffee with a few feathered friends clucking about with some accompanying morning cock-a-doodle-doos. It just wouldn’t be the same without them.
You also might want to check out how Sunrise Shack Hawai'i came to be. It’s always been about more than just coffee!
Ready for island coffee time on O'ahu?
Happy Travels!
~Rob & Tammy
Comments