From Kingdom to Cup: The Living Story of Coffee in Hawai‘i

By Miguel Meza, Paradise Coffee Roasters — Roasted fresh in Hilo, Hawai‘i

Coffee has been part of Hawai‘i’s story for nearly two centuries — woven into its volcanic soil, royal history, and the hands of generations who cultivated it. From the first seedlings carried across oceans to today’s award-winning farms of Kona and Ka‘ū, coffee in Hawai‘i tells a story of perseverance, transformation, and place.

The First Seeds

Coffee first arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1825, when Chief Boki brought plants from Brazil to Mānoa Valley, O‘ahu. Within a few years, Reverend Joseph Goodrich introduced the crop to Hilo, and Reverend Samuel Ruggles carried the first coffee trees south to Kealakekua in 1828 — the beginning of what would become the Kona tradition.

By the 1830s, coffee was cultivated on multiple islands. The first commercial plantings appeared in Kōloa, Kaua‘i (1836), and by 1842 more than 1,000 acres were planted in Hanalei. Pests and disease soon struck — scale insects and mold devastated crops by 1860 — and many growers turned to sugarcane.

Boom and Bust

While portions of Kaua‘i faltered, plantations in Kona and Hāmākua shipped coffee to California during the Gold Rush. When prices later collapsed, large estates were abandoned, yet Hawaiian families continued tending small plots and selling to coastal merchants — the roots of Kona’s smallholder legacy.

The 1890s brought a new boom. Global prices rose and the Guatemalan Typica strain — soon known as Kona Typica — spread across Hawai‘i Island, from Puna to Ka‘ū. But the world market crashed by 1900; prices fell from $27 to $10 per 100 lb, and most large planters exited. Japanese tenant farmers leased the lands and kept Kona’s industry alive. By 1930, more than 5,000 acres were in coffee, with Kona as Hawai‘i’s center of production.

Kona’s Golden Era

In the 1940s–50s, innovations from the Kona Experiment Station — and growers like Edward Fukunaga — dramatically improved productivity. Hawai‘i produced over 18 million pounds of parchment coffee in 1957, among the highest yields per acre in the world. Visiting agronomists from Latin America came to learn, while Typica became synonymous with Kona’s balance and clarity.

Modern Revival

After statehood, rising labor costs and commodity pricing reduced output, but the specialty movement of the 1980s sparked a renaissance. New estates were planted on Maui, Moloka‘i, and Kaua‘i; Kona producers began selling directly to consumers. When sugar ended in Ka‘ū (1996), former mill workers planted coffee and built a new reputation for depth and sweetness.

Today, growers across the islands refine processing and explore varieties — Typica, SL34, Caturra, even Geisha — revealing distinct expressions of volcanic terroir.

A Legacy in Every Cup

The history of coffee in Hawai‘i is one of adaptation and craftsmanship — from early missionaries to modern smallholders on Mauna Loa’s slopes. Each generation redefined what Hawaiian coffee could be. Its essence remains: care, connection, and a sense of place.

Big Island Coffee Today

The Big Island produces the majority of Hawaii’s specialty coffee, especially from Kona and Kaʻū. Paradise focuses on high-elevation micro-lots from these regions, offering the highest expression of Hawaiʻi’s volcanic terroir

At Paradise Coffee Roasters, we carry that legacy forward — roasting fresh in Hilo and shipping the same day. Explore the classic balance of Kona Classic Medium, the volcanic depth of Ka‘ū Classic Dark, or discover our Hawaiian Coffee Collection.

Further Reading

• Dark Roast vs Medium Roast: How Roast Shapes Aroma
• Buying Geisha Coffee: Everything You Need to Know

Cultivated with intention in Hilo, Hawai‘i — roasted to order, shipped same day.