Islands Cafe

Islands Roastery: Born from Necessity

Islands Roastery was founded out of necessity. In 2017, just a year into business, we were on the verge of bankruptcy as coffee prices skyrocketed. We had to act fast. After some searching, we found a farm producing yellow Catuai beans and purchased our first roaster, diving headfirst into the art of coffee roasting.

What began as trips to the Waimea Valley to pick wild coffee beans and roast them in a makeshift steel drum—crafted from a repurposed military oil drum—has grown into something far more precise. We started our roasting journey with Lava, a small 2.5 kg roaster. While it was a true workhorse, keeping up with our daily demand of 10 kg of coffee was no small feat. Lava carried us through until we were finally able to upgrade to Sunset, our 20.5 kg roaster.

With Sunset in place, we now have the capacity to service all three of our cafés, along with a few nearby grocery stores. These days, we rely on computer graphs to meticulously track each roast, analyzing every variable to chart the perfect roasting profile.

We believe every coffee bean has a unique combination of temperature, time, and airflow that unlocks its full potential—enhancing the oils, flavors, texture, smoothness, and acidity that make each roast distinctive. Our mission is to discover this precise recipe for each bean we roast and replicate it consistently, batch after batch.

This relentless pursuit of perfection drives us every day, ensuring every cup we serve reflects the very best of what each bean has to offer.

This version flows smoothly and highlights both the early days with Lava and the upgrade to Sunset, showcasing your journey and growth. Let me know if it’s good to go or needs any further changes!