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TheBuzz Erika Engle |
Coffee cache
for Christmas
in KaimukiShawn Chun is expanding his entrepreneurial espresso empire with a line of gourmet coffees in unusual packaging.
The owner of the Gotta Java Espresso and Bubble Bubble & Juice Boost cart at Market City Shopping Center, he has been dreaming about creating his own specialty coffees since 1991, while working at another coffee retailer. He was a part-time barrista at the kiosk who bought the business two years ago with help from his parents.
The new line called SChun Coffee is presented in decidedly upscale packaging. The whole-bean coffee comes in colored, frosted glass bottles, reminiscent of beach glass. The colors are keyed to the flavor contained therein.
Caramel Nut is in a dark orange bottle; Chocolate Covered Raspberry is in red; Cinnamon Apple Dutch is in brown; Creme Brule is in white; Hazelnut Creme is in light orange, Irish Creme is in green; Tiramisu is in teal; Vanilla Viennese Cinnamon is in dark purple; Heavenly Delight, a mix of chocolate, caramel, sweet vanilla and a hint of coconut, is in frosted light purple; and unflavored coffee is in blue.
Chun sold more than 300 bottles the first two months his coffees were offered online at www.schun.com. The orders came from California to Florida, to Canada, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Shawn Chun's whole-bean coffee comes in colored, frosted glass bottles and are keyed to the flavor contained in them.
"Some customers have even sent me pictures of their bottles in wine racks and even enjoy posing with them," he said.
The bags of coffee out there never appealed to him as gift packaging, he said.
"I figured I'd package it differently and create something unique and my own."
The hot coffee haute couture designer work took about a year and 18 prototypes to develop, he said.
"I found a good coffee from Oregon (K&F Coffees) and have it shipped here and I actually flavor it here."
The bottles are imported from Europe because "I couldn't find what I wanted here or anywhere else."
He initially offered the seven-ounce bottles of coffee for $15, "but it didn't move so I had to re-cost it a little bit, refigure and bring it down."
Increasing his bulk purchases brought the online price down to $12, which does not include shipping. For the Christmas season, he offers it at his Market City cart location for $9.50 per bottle. It is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
When people realize the bottle contains whole-bean coffee and not just a one-time drink, they are pleasantly surprised, Chun said.
Homemaker Kathy Jue of Kaimuki has been a regular, daily customer of Chun's for five years and is excited for his expansion.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Shawn Chun, owner of the Gotta Java Espresso and Bubble Bubble & Juice Boost cart at Market City Shopping Center, sold over 300 bottles the first two months his coffees were offered online.
"He's always trying to see how to succeed in his business ... he tries to come up with good ideas to attract more customers and keep his regular customers there and give them more things to enjoy," she said.
"He just brought in his shave ice. My kids love it," she said. The mother of two often brings her sons after school for Chun's bubble tea drinks and smoothies as well.
Gotta Java and neighboring Pelio Bakery are among the early risers at Market City Shopping Center. They bring in the first stream of customers for the day, seeking morning coffee and baked goods, according to Sandy Fong, senior vice president of the shopping center.
Chun "is a really amazing young entrepreneur. He's very hard working."
"We always say that Market City has, and I'm not sure how many people know this, one of the few drive-through coffee carts," she said.
Beyond morning commuters, Gotta Java draws customers to the center for a quick pick-me-up any time of day and is very popular with students at nearby Kaimuki High School, said Fong.
"It's a nice addition. It's good to have a nice mix at the shopping center and I think that's what we've done at Market City."
A nice mix is what Chun wishes for more people living fast-paced lives. In addition to putting his heart soul into his coffees, he also has a passion for poetry and shares it on the bottles and his Web site.
"Hardly anybody takes time to just sit down and reflect upon life," but if they were to do that, coffee would be the perfect accompaniment, he said.
He sees coffee as much more than just a drink. "There's a depth to it," which lends itself to introspection.
"Working is not living life." The illness of a family member was the wake-up call that made him see that life is too short to focus only on work, money and material goods.
"When I drink coffee I like to reflect. I wanted to share that with people." Chun hopes the nice bottle will attract people and that its prose will encourage them not to just wake up and smell the coffee, as the saying goes, but to "think about life a little bit, reflect and appreciate everything that's out there."
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at: eengle@starbulletin.com
