Hilo Coffee Mill — Restaurant in Hawaii

Felt like we just stepped into an eerie thriller movie... let me paint the picture for you. Imagine pulling up to a nearly empty parking lot and walking up to what appears to be an empty building. You're wondering, "Where the heck is everyone?" All the while the constant rain adds a sense of gloom to the whole situation. You ascend a few steps to the front porch of two identical buildings. You go for the right door and step into a room filled with bags of coffee beans, a roasting machine, and a gentleman hunched over the table. There's only so much to keep your mind pre-occupied but, fortunately, the gentleman finally decides to say a little hello. He doesn't say much after and you're forced to try to keep the conversation going by coming up with question after question- only to be reciprocated with short answers that don't lend themselves to much of a two-way conversation. However what keeps you going is the agonizing thought of the "awkward silence." You finally find a window of opportunity to exit the room and enter the left door. Inside are shelves lined with bags of coffee beans ready for purchase. Not much in terms of description nor story. You have to assume it's quality looking at the minimum price tag of $20+ for the smallest bag of locally grown coffee. A man behind a desk calls out and says, "Can I help you with anything?" A bit taken aback by the lack of cordiality, you say "No" to cut things short. Couldn't he have said hello, good morning, how are you, how is your day, can I help you with anything, here is a history of our farm.... etc etc etc. Common courtesy would've been nice to have, especially for a company selling a premium product. Looking around further, you see some bags of tea. Curious, you ask the lady at the counter about the tea leaves that are grown at the farm. "Sorry, I don't know anything about the tea," she says. Turning to another gentleman that had just walked in, she asks, "Do you know anything about the tea?" "No idea, I think we planted it a few years back," says this other guy. At this point you're absolutely bewildered that they're charging premium price on tea that nobody appears to have any clue where it even came from. Something seems off.... you can't quite pinpoint it but the experiences all add up to red flags in your mind. To get out in one piece, you decide to purchase a latte as a simple gesture of thanks then you book it to your car and take off! What a relief to be done with this strange...

Thanks Hilo coffee mill! We stopped here today, a Tuesday around 1:00 ish and they had 3 different coffees they were sampling. All the samples were All yummy and it was so interesting to learn about Why Hawaiian coffee is so not bitter (at least to us compared to other coffees) So there was a lot we had to learn about “coffee cherries” and other terms and everybody there was very happy to share the information with us! And not in a snobby way! and then we walked over to the roasting room and got a little bit more information from Adam in there. We were happy with the samples, and our purchases. Even the owner shared a lot of info and seems to really enjoy her business. We are Excited to share some gifts with family that we purchased from there. So in the end all were very helpful and the only one that was a bit unfriendly appeared to be a local but after spending some time there she also seemed to get friendlier and less abrupt. So give it a try and don’t let one employee ruin it, we didn’t & were glad we stayed about 20-30 minutes. Also if they are busy with other customers they will get to you. One thing I think that would help is a sign that explains where to stand to get a sample of coffee and perhaps wait in line if there’s others there ahead of you... Like a sign from the ceiling that says “like a coffee sample? Wait here” and an...

During a recent business trip to Hilo, I was referred to the Hilo Coffee Mill for its excellent coffee, particularly the Ka'U blend. When I searched for it on Google Maps, it informed me that the place might be closed. So, I decided to call and confirm. Fortunately, a very nice woman answered the phone and told me that they, in fact, were closed for the day and that she was just there to do some 'paperwork.' When I explained to her that I was just visiting Hilo and that my wife was an avid coffee drinker, she graciously said to come by. Sure enough, I was treated exceptionally well, despite purchasing just a pound of the dark roast. She even make a fresh pot of coffee, in case I wanted some. Customer service is few and far between in today's fast-paced world. But, on that day I was proven wrong! Thank you very much, Hilo Coffee Mill! You definitely are high on my list for today's Thanksgiving Day...