After acquiring a run-down coffee farm in Puna and turning it into an award-winning brand, the founders of Big Island Coffee Roasters are taking on a new challenge by opening a café and roastery in Hilo.
While browsing Craigslist in Portland, Ore., in 2010, Brandon Damitz and Kelleigh Stewart spotted a coffee farm for sale in Puna. The two had never farmed coffee but decided to take a leap of faith and give it a try.
Damitz and Stewart spent three years experimenting with growing coffee in Puna, which at the time wasn’t well-known for its coffee.
In 2013, the duo’s Puna Pink Bourbon coffee earned the Grand Champion prize in the Hawaii Coffee Association Statewide Cupping Competition, becoming the first and only Puna coffee to receive the award.
“We were learning the craft, and winning the championship in 2013 was vindication for us and validation that we were on the right path. We were creating something we could be really proud of,” Damitz said. “This was a turning point for us, because we could focus all of our attention on the coffee.”
That year, Big Island Coffee Roasters was launched when neighboring farmers began asking for advice, and Damitz and Stewart opened the first coffee-refining mill in East Hawaii.
Damitz and Stewart stopped farming their Puna coffee in 2019 and decided to turn their attention to their true passion — uplifting local coffee farmers and supporting the supply chain of coffee from Hawaii.
“We wanted to focus on our bigger mission to revision Hawaii coffee,” Damitz said. “Everything was very dated when we first moved here, with the bags of coffee not accurately depicting Hawaii or showcasing the diversity of the island.”
After being overrun with coffee beans in their Mountain View home, Damitz and Stewart began looking for locations for a bigger and better roastery.
On Aug. 12, the two opened their first public roastery and café at 76 Kalanianaole St. in Hilo, accross the street from Coconut Grill.
“Everything is happening right here now. Production, order fulfillment and our first time in retail,” Damitz said. “We didn’t have plans to open a café, but we saw the opportunity to offer locals and visitors the wide spectrum of coffee that Hawaii has to offer.”
Inside the Big Island Coffee Roasters building is a window between the café and roastery, so patrons can watch the production team roast coffee beans sourced from farmers across the state.
Production team member April Des Combes has sourced coffee from at least 15 farmers in Kailua-Kona, Ka‘u, Puna and Hamakua, as well as Maui, Kauai and Oahu.
“After we connect with farmers interested in working with us, I sample the coffee with a light roast to see what the coffee has to offer at its base,” Des Combes said. “If it’s something we can purchase, we come up with agreements with local farmers directly. There is no middle man in this process.”
Relationships between the farmers and Big Island Coffee Roasters is the core of the business, according to Damitz.
“I love working with local farmers — it’s one of my favorite parts to this job as a past farmer,” Damitz said. “We ultimately want to be a bridge between coffee lovers and really great coffee that we have access to.”
Big Island Coffee Roasters sends bags of coffee around the world, with most of the business coming from online sales. They also serve some retailers and resorts in Hawaii, California and Oregon.
Island residents and visitors have been supportive of the new café and have given Damitz and Stewart some ideas for the future, which include more monthly community and cultural events.
“We wanted to make a nice coffee shop that would become something locals love, as it represents the Big Island,” Damitz said. “We hope to garner more engagement and enrichment with Native Hawaiian events. We may already need a bigger space for what we want to do.”
In early 2024, patrons will be able to book tasting tours, participate in educational events, and roast their own coffee.
“We are learning more about what people are looking for, and we aim to keep surprising and delighting people,” Damitz said. “I’m stoked to see how it will grow over time, but so far it’s been a lot of fun. Our team is amazing, and it feels really good to come to work.”
For more information about Big Island Coffee Roasters, the Hilo café, future events and coffee products, visit bigislandcoffeeroasters.com.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
