The news coming from Hawaiian coffee production over the past few years has been generally bad. From coffee borer beetles and immigration crackdowns on Kona farms to earthquakes destroying water systems and America’s largest coffee producer potentially losing their land lease. But in the case of this latter instance, finally there appears to be some good news. Kauai Coffee Company has finalized the lease of their 3,100-acre coffee estate.
As we reported at the beginning of the year, the Kauai Coffee Estate is home to over four million coffee trees and produces between one to two million pounds of coffee annually, making them the largest coffee producer in the USA. But neither Kauai Coffee nor Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, their parent company, actually own the land they occupy. Since 2022 it has been owned by a Colorado-based investment firm that in 2024 put the land lease up for public sale despite “engaging constructively and in good faith with Massimo Zanetti Beverage.”
The lease was originally set to expire at the end of March, leaving all 141 employees in a state of limbo. But according to a statement from the coffee company, a new lease has been finalized. Though the terms and duration of the new agreement aren’t given, the statement confirms that the full 3,100 acres as well as the 140+ employees have returned to business as usual, including the reopening of the Kauai Coffee visitor center.
“Kauai Coffee has always belonged to the people of Kauai, and that will never change,” said Brian Kubicki, General Manager, Kauai Coffee Company. “Our appreciation for the overwhelming outpouring of support and aloha from our community can’t be overstated. We are proud to say that our roots remain exactly where they belong, our team is entirely secure, and we are actively looking forward to bringing even more job opportunities to our local community as we grow.”
So finally some good news for Hawaiian coffee. The farm responsible for a conservatively estimated 25% of the US’s total production is not going anywhere.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
