Apr 28, 20233 min read

Island Style Coffee & Donuts

Updated: Apr 30, 2023

A real taste of paradise on the Big Island of Hawaii...

Helpful tidbits from Kona.

At the The Bar & Bait Shop, we dig it when our customers and friends want to share their adventures or give us inside scoops on a place they have been to. These types of insights or advice about a local area can add to spice and enjoyment of a future stay there. Not all adventures are about swimming with the sharks or running with the bulls. Many are just about those quiet, little moments like being on the Lanai enjoying a great cup of Joe and watching the sun come up over the surf.

Our friend, Bo McNair, recently got back from a jaunt to the Big Island of Hawaii and wanted to share a couple inside tracks for us.

Here's the scoop in Bo's own words...

I don’t do any social media, but I am friends with the gang at Islands To Highlands and they asked me to help do a post on our next trip to Hawaii. We both share a love of travel and meeting people in the places that we travel to. I hate leaving a place and then later talking to someone else who has been to the same place and they say “What did you think of this place or what about that really cool restaurant or bar?” and I say “Oh man I wish I would have known that because I would have gone there!” So, the next time you are on the Big Island, I hope my advice helps you to enjoy your vacation just a little bit more.

We often visit the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s a relatively easy flight from Seattle. If you know Seattle and the surrounding area, then you know that by late February or early April you are ready to be warm and see and feel the sun (for the people in Seattle, the sun is the big yellow thing that is occasionally in the sky). We usually get to Kona in the early afternoon. Next, we get our rental car and since we stay in a condo complex, our next stop is Costco. Costco is not far from the airport and you will save lots of money by stocking up there if you are a member. Also, you can stock up and buy some of your Kona and Kauai Coffee inside of Costco. I would suggest that you put it in a flat rate box from the post office and mail it to your home (I would say to buy a little insurance because it’s only a few bucks more). Best of all, outside of Costco near the entrance is The Coffee Lady. She sells coffee there mid-day until about 3:00 in the afternoon. This is the best deal on the island for Kona Coffee. Her company is Ahi Wai Farms. She sells Peaberry and regular Kona Beans. Don’t want to sound like I am mansplaining, but Peaberry is more expensive because it has a small single bean inside of the coffee cherry. Regular coffee cherries have two beans in them and that is why it is more expensive. Bring cash and please don’t haggle with her because once you are on the Island and you go to the many different coffee farms and estates you will see this is the BEST deal period.

Real Paradise Donuts!

Now I have to tell you what we do on the second day (and days to follow). We go to Paradise Bakery at the Kona International Market Place. You have to get up early and be the first in line because they make 2,000 donuts a day and usually sell out about 10:00 AM! They make fresh donuts to die for including a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Donut! It is a donut with a full peanut butter cup on the inside of the donut. These sell out FAST so if you think you are early at 7:30 AM, let me tell you from personal experience, you will be wrong!