Imua Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Kauai

I really want to like this place, and I think it has potential but...

Things that I enjoy about it: The patio is cute, and the interior is hip. The coffee is solid, and the music has been great during my visits. And it's vegan so bonus points for that, especially on an island that basically has Beyond Burgers as their only vegan option. Finally, the staff is very sweet.

Things that are frustrating: The staff is also inexperienced and seemingly unable to multi-task. I waited ten minutes the other day for a drip coffee because the couple in front of me in line ordered coffee drinks and food. On another afternoon, I also saw a line of 12 people, and the mayhem that followed.

They are also out of things constantly/perpetually. I've tried to buy a piece of chocolate banana bread every day for six days because the person in front of me bought the last piece during my first visit, but they have been out every day since (I show up every day at around seven in the morning so they don't sell out before I arrive.) They have also been out of the "lox" all week, and they're completely aware of it--the owner was there yesterday and said ,"That's the second person who tried to order it. I guess I should make some more." Do I even need to comment on how maddening it is when you're out still the next day and you know? Create a menu that you can maintain (I owned a French bakery/cafe for five years so trust me on this. You will irritate customers if you are always out of menu items. It's better to revamp it if you can't keep up.)

Things that are unspeakable: There's been a recent trend everywhere to combine vegan and gluten free diets, despite the fact that it does great disservice to both diets and is probably relevant to only .001 of the population. Gluten baked goods need dairy and eggs for moisture, flavor, and body to be enjoyable. Vegan baked goods need gluten and all the help that they can get. This is an unholy arranged business marriage that hopes to capitalize on desperation and is lose-lose for everyone. The results are a bagel shaped thing that imitates cardboard pretending to be bagel.

I really wish this place nothing but success. And if I visit Kauai again, I will stop in again and again, probably to find that they're still out of chocolate banana bread and "lox". Godspeed, my...

Imua is located right next to the Kilauea Fish Market in Wailua, so close to the Islander on the Beach that it feels part of it. The owner, Steve, is really friendly and chatty. The outdoor seating area is very nice - great little tables and chairs in a covered area looking onto the Islander garden area. Free WiFi. Currently they are brewing Barefoot coffee until they start sourcing and roasting their own beans. They use the Clever method for pour overs, which I think produces good results. I've had the Brazilian, Colombian and a Guatemalan blend called Heavy (the last one is my favorite). All very good coffees, low acid, nicely brewed. They have vegan-friendly milks available, and make chai too. I had a toasted bagel (jalapeno-cheddar) with cream cheese along with a pour over coffee, and was pleasantly surprised that it was just over $6. A bagel sandwich, pour over coffee and pastry at Java Kai had cost me $25. I know the bagel at Java Kai was a full sandwich, but still, that's a big price difference, especially considering Imua's bagels are organic and locally made (I think Java Kai's may be from Costco).

I'm also giving them 5/5 "green stars" for social and environmental impact. They are definitely conscious about where their coffee comes from and how it is grown. Right now their coffee comes from Barefoot, who have Direct Trade relationships (paying at least 25% more than Fair Trade prices) with small farms, some of which are organic, shade-grown, and Rainforest Alliance certified. Imua plans on setting up direct trade relationships to source sustainable green beans from various farms (including Kona) to roast on site. Their pastries are organic and made locally by Small Town Coffee, and include some vegan options and the bagels are also organic and locally made, by Ya Quddus. They provide non-dairy milk options. Silver spoons and compostable lids and utensils are available for people...

I stopped in this morning around 9:30am for some coffee with my friend. When we walked in there was one other customer inside and two employees.

It was cute inside and it looked like there was some seating in the back. They had clothing for sale that I thought was well done, especially the pink tank top. I ordered a Monkey Mocha and my friend ordered an Early Riser, both iced with no modifications. The cashier was courteous and the drinks were made promptly. The other employee was very friendly and they were playing some good music there.

When we drove away with our drinks we were very surprised. For two very different orders they were both equally yet uniquely disappointing. I tried both of the drinks and so did my friend and we were dissatisfied with both of them. Another time I would have driven back and asked for a refund but we had a schedule to keep.

I noticed a lot of replies from the owner about the coffee, service, milk options (haha who complains about no cow milk from a vegan coffee shop), etc and it's great to stand by your people and product. Regardless, some of the experiences in the comments seem like genuine concerns and were almost always responded to dismissively or as if it's the customer's fault.

I'd like to go here again and try the coffee by itself but I would not recommend the iced coffee/espresso drinks based on this experience. I'll update this rating tomorrow when I give it a second try.

// Updated 10/13/2024 - I went back at 8am today and got a cup of the Mexican Chiapas (medium roast), nothing added. No complaints on the coffee, The service was solid just as the day...