Kauai Coffee

We always stop at Kauai Coffee to take a look at the massive plantation and buy some coffee.  Before we came this year we had been reading online that the plantation had been having difficulty renewing its lease and was in danger of being sold. The size of the coffee farm and the infrastructure costs for all those trees and the watering system made it seem unlikely you would invest that much money without owning the land. This was evidently not the case and I was anxious to actually be there and ask about the situation. It turned out to reveal nothing I did not already know, and the workers evidently knew little or were told not to discuss the situation. I did a little AI investigating and their reticence might have been due to concern for their jobs as it seemed a new owner might be taking over.

Kauai Coffee Lease

**Kauai Coffee Company** faces imminent closure as its land lease with **Brue Baukol Capital Partners (BBCP)** is set to expire on **March 28, 2026**. The lease, covering approximately 3,100–4,000 acres of coffee land in Kalaheo, has not been renewed, leading to the issuance of **WARN notices** to all 136 employees, with terminations scheduled to begin March 14 and conclude by March 28.

BBCP, a Colorado-based investment firm that acquired the land from Alexander & Baldwin in 2022, stated it intends to **retain all employees** and continue coffee operations under new management, but has not yet finalized a plan. Despite ongoing negotiations, the company has no path forward without a lease extension, and Kauai Coffee’s leadership remains hopeful but uncertain about a resolution.

The farm, the **largest coffee grower in the U.S.**, has been a cornerstone of Kauai’s agricultural heritage and tourism since the 1980s. Local officials, including Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and Kaua‘i County Council Chair Mel Rapozo, have expressed concern over the impact on employees and the community, emphasizing the need for stability and continued agricultural use of the land.

I did purchase some coffee. I like a peaberry when available and I knew they sold this type of bean. The cost was $37 for 10 ounces so I am saving it to drink with visitors yet to arrive. 

Nourish Hanalei

I  try not to repeat past posts, but Nourish Hanalei offers such impressive views (and food) I had to make an exception. We also ate our first Acai Bowls of the trip. The Acai berry grows on the Acai Palm which used to strike me as strange as it is very different from a coconut. 

Joe Cool

 I seldom wear sunglasses because I avoid the sun and my infrequent use makes purchasing a prescription pair kind of expensive. I have a pair somewhere that is now two prescription updates behind so I am no longer certain where they are. I recently had cataract surgery and as a consequence I can see fairly well without glasses.

I decided to purchase sunglasses because the bright sun in Kauai can be a nuisance and without prescription the cost is low. I bought them myself without supervision and Cindy said I purchased what she expected - whatever that means.

Perhaps you remember Snoppy as Joe Cool. I would provide a comparison, but I am told the Peanuts characters are copyright protected. It also occurred to me that Joe Cool might apply to Joe Biden. If so, Joe and I do have certain qualities in common.

Big Waves

We have had strong winds now for a day or so. Yesterday, the news reported sustained winds 20-30 with gusts to 60. Cindy saw Nenes trying to walk past the condo and a couple were flipped around. They did not seem to understand they could get behind a wall and escape. That would have made a great video, but I was too slow to react. It was intense. Today the sun is out, and the winds are calm, but the waves are as high as I have seen them.

It is difficult to capture large waves in a way that conveys the power and size. Video helps because it provides more of a context. I took this image outside our condo over the small inlet that appears in many of our photos. 

 

Na Pali Coast

 

We usually take one boat trip per stay to look for whales or see the Na Pali Coast from the water. The rough terrain comes down to the ocean, and this is where the road that circles the island does not exist. The cruises are expensive and can be very rough but quite spectacular. We saw whales, but the boat was moving rapidly and did not slow or pause for photos as this was more of a sightseeing trip.

One of Cindy's college friends, Margaret, has been staying with us this week and wanted to do the boat tour.

Some sites from the boat.

While it was a calm day, this photo of a nearby boat that was similar to our own kind of disappears as it enters a trough. 

Ocean sunsets often generate some spectacular photo opportunities.