We Are A Farm-To-Cup Operation
SINGLE ESTATE
Single Estate means our 100% Kona Coffee comes exclusively from our farm. We are hands on and in full control from seed to final roast. Kona Coffee & Tea has the complete infrastructure in place to grow, harvest, process and roast 100% Kona Coffee while maintaining our highest quality and consistency standards. This means you can rely on us to provide you with the best 100% Kona Coffee consistently. We are passionate about 100% Kona Coffee and we put Aloha into everything we do. There are very few Kona Coffee farms that grow, mill, and roast their own beans. And even fewer that can say, "From Our Farm to Your Cup". But that's exactly what takes place at Kona Coffee and Tea.
SUSTAINABLE FARMING
Our Single Estate - 100% Kona Coffee is sustainably farmed. That means we do whatever we can to give back to the land what we take from it. In our opinion, nowhere on earth do farmers have more respect and love for the áina (land). Malama Áina (care for the land) is the prevailing ideology of Hawaíi and is reflected in every aspect of Island life. From surfers to industrial farmers, respect for nature is first and foremost.
Kona Coffee & Tea has been gradually planting an agroforest with new coffee trees as well as a wide variety of other fruit trees and native Hawaiian plants. An agroforest is a myriad of different plants and trees growing in the same plot of land that feed and nourish one another, which leads to more organic and sustainable food and less intervention from humans. We are moving away from the commercialized approach of farming known as monocropping that has taken the mainland by storm. Did you know there are currently more than 400 million acres in the US that are dedicated to a small number of crops. Plants like wheat, corn, and soybean dominate much of America’s farmland, and the monocropping method has influenced how we grow our coffee in the past, but we’re making a change. Instead of planting rows and rows of only coffee trees, we are interspersing them with other plants to create a diverse agroforest.
HAND-PICKING
The journey of a Kona Coffee & Tea 100% Kona Coffee bean starts as a seed. Once planted in the rich volcanic soil of Hualalai, this sprout is nurtured by the sunny mornings, afternoon clouds, and regular rainfall. Located in the crown of the “Kona Coffee Belt”, our farm provides ideal growing conditions for the world's best 100% Kona Coffee. The Kona Coffee & Tea farm is located in the highest elevations overlooking the beauty of the Kona coast. Growing in high elevations enables the coffee to develop more slowly resulting in a denser, higher quality coffee bean after processing. Three years after planting, delicate white flowers emerge between January and May. These sweet-smelling blooms are affectionately known as “Kona snow”. As the “Kona snow” vanish, a bright green cherry develops, holding our precious coffee bean inside. Then once the summer sun ripens the cherry to red, our pickers meticulously look for only the perfect fruit to pick by hand, coming back to the same tree numerous times before the end of a harvest.
ARTFUL MILLING & ROASTING
From our fields, the bright coffee cherry travels ten minutes down a windy country road in Holualoa to our mill. The ripe cherry is then hulled, polished, cleaned, and graded by our wet and dry mill. Milled and dried green coffee beans are then roasted at our roasting facility. Our Master Roaster, expertly transforms the different grades of green beans into the chocolate-hued Kona coffee beans we know and love. While crafting light, medium, full city, or dark roasts, our roaster tests each batch to ensure the perfect taste, smell, and color. Kona Coffee & Tea roasts in small batches to best ensure quality and consistency, and to guarantee freshness. The roasted Kona Coffee & Tea beans are exclusively brewed and served in our flagship Kona Coffee & Tea café in the heart of Kailua-Kona and are available for purchase in our online store.
OUR OHANA
Rooted in Family. Growing Together.
In Hawaiʻi, ʻohana is more than family. It is a way of life. It is the understanding that we are all connected, that the relationships we cultivate matter, and that the communities we build become an extension of our own families. At Kona Coffee & Tea, ʻohana has always been at the heart of who we are.
Our story began in 1998 when Jan and Dan Bolton planted their first 20 acres of Kona coffee on a former cattle ranch known as Waiono Meadows in Hōlualoa, on the slopes of Hualālai. What began as a family dream, rooted in the land and a love for 100% Kona coffee, has grown into a multigenerational, family-owned and operated business.
Our story has never been about coffee alone. Growing up on an island teaches you something special about community. You learn that family extends far beyond the walls of your home. It is your neighbors, your friends, the people you work alongside, and the familiar faces you see every day. It is generations of families supporting one another, sharing traditions, and caring for the place we all call home.
We believe small, locally owned businesses are part of the heartbeat of Hawaiʻi Island. They are places where relationships are built, stories are shared, and generations come together. They help preserve the character of our island and remind us of the importance of knowing where we come from and caring for those around us.
Today, Kona Coffee & Tea continues to grow with those same family values at its foundation. From the hands that care for our coffee trees to the people who roast, brew, and share each cup, every part of our journey is connected. Our team, our farmers, our customers, and our community are all part of our extended ʻohana.
As we grow, so does our circle of ʻohana. And with that growth comes a responsibility to care for our land, support our neighbors, create opportunities for future generations, and continue building something meaningful together.
Because at the end of the day, what makes Kona Coffee & Tea special isn't just the coffee we grow. It's the people who make it possible, the relationships that bring us together, and the island community we're proud to call home.
From our family to yours, mahalo for being part of our ʻohana.
ALOHA
There are a handful of factors that distinguish a great growing region from an otherwise good growing region. Colombian coffees stand out for their high elevation, African coffees for their terra, or soil, and so many central and South American coffees for their select varieties such as Geisha in Panama. One factor among the many is not going to make a great cup of coffee, it takes a combination of ideal environmental conditions, care, pride, and knowledge to make a cup distinctly excellent.
100% Kona Coffee is grown in a small, highly regulated region high in the Hawaiian hills of the Kona Growing Region. The hills receive optimal sun, rain, and nutrients, but above all else, Kona farmers are excited and passionate about the coffee they grow and truly encompass the full spectrum of Aloha in that passion and you can taste it. All the right ingredients from nature and environment coupled with island Aloha make Kona Coffee much more than a simple tasty vacation treat. 100% Kona is verifiably a top shelf choice in the specialty coffee arena.