by Blessie Vergara
Unsuspectingly tucked away in the warehouse district of Kalihi, is a bright red coffee factory. Within it, workers are meticulously producing bags of coffee—ready to be distributed to stores, restaurants, hotels across the Hawaiian islands, and beyond. Some lucky bags will be placed for sale and to be taken for brewing in its connecting cafe and general store. This is how Lion Coffee operates, how Lion Café and General Store receives only the freshest coffee, and ultimately, how they roar above the rest.

by Blessie Vergara
HONOLULU, HI — The moment you open the front door at Hawaiian Pie Company, you are greeted with the tantalizing smell of butter and sweets. Behind another set of doors, the Hori ‘ohana is baking a variety of hundreds to thousands of pies throughout the week, depending on the day and occasion. It’s a huge feat for the small team, but they do it with relative ease. It’s all thanks to the baking finesse that runs through the family’s genes.

by Blessie Vergara
HONOLULU, HI – Since its genesis in 2012, 53 by the Sea has built a reputation for being one of the hottest spots to secure reservations for celebratory meals. From the architecture that makes it reminiscent of a seaside palace, to the unobstructed views of the Honolulu/Waikiki skyline set against the vast Pacific Ocean, the sights are breathtaking. Small to large, the dishes conjured up by the chefs’ creative minds are bound to be satisfying too.

by Callista Hansen
7-Eleven Hawai‘i, home of Hawai‘i’s best Spam® Musubis, has been servicing our islands for decades with a variety of locally influenced foods and snacks that many have grown to love. On December 22nd, 1989 when 7-Eleven Japan acquired the 7-Eleven stores in Hawai‘i from the Southland Company, Japan’s goal has always been to support 7-Eleven Hawai‘i as an independent entity, allowing for it to evolve with the people of Hawai‘i.

by Blessie Vergara
After leaving the bustling Kona business district and driving south towards Ka’u on the Big Island of Hawai’i, the scenery gives way to lush greenery and nearly unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean below. Soon enough, one can spot multiple copper-red buildings. In these buildings and on its grounds is coffee magic being conjured up. They have arrived at none other than Royal Kona Coffee Center, Captain Cook’s mecca for coffee.