Cherylene Mendoza recalls when she got the idea to start a matcha business during a recent trip to LA with her husband, Janny.
“We sat and we put God first before our day,” she says. “We said, ‘Let’s go do devotionals.’ We sat at a café, shared coffee and did devotionals. From there, I felt called and led to start something that we can have (like that) here in Hawai‘i.”
The Mendozas launched their pop-up, called DEVOS Hawaiʻi, about a month ago. Their matcha home café, based in ‘Ewa Beach, is currently open from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sundays, but the biz will soon be open on specific weekdays as well, according to Mendoza.
“DEVOS stands for devotionals; we’re just here representing Jesus,” Mendoza says. “One day, we want to open up our own café where people can sit, drink matcha or coffee, do devotionals and connect. It’s open for everybody.”
Preorders are required; customers can check out DEVOS Hawaiʻi’s Instagram to see the matcha menu and direct message the account to preorder (payments via cash and Venmo are accepted). Once customers set a pick-up date and time and arrive at the pop-up, they’ll be encouraged to write a prayer before receiving their order.
Mendoza calls this step “prayer before pour.”
“While we’re currently the only ones doing it, it does take a little bit of time, but it’s so powerful,” she says. “I remember the first time I did the pop-up — there were so many people and so many prayers. After everyone went home, that same night, I put my hand over every single card and was praying for them.
“It’s like our own prayer wall and we’re believing for everyone,” Mendoza adds. “I always believe that every good desire comes from the Lord. If there’s something you need us to pray for, we’re here to pray for you. God is the only one who can answer prayers, but he is going to use us to share his word or share his message.”
DEVOS Hawaiʻi’s menu features a variety of iced matcha beverages served in 16-ounce cups. All drinks are made with ceremonial-grade matcha, oat milk and homemade classic syrups.
“Our matcha is from Uji in Kyoto prefecture, Japan,” Mendoza says. “We love the benefits of matcha — how it’s good for the brain and body — and we love to drink it.”
The business’s classic matcha latte ($7), strawberry matcha latte ($8) and strawberry ube matcha latte ($9) have been customer favorites. The latter includes strawberry and ube purees, resulting in a colorful concoction.
The biz’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch matcha latte ($10) is a newer menu item that’s becoming popular. As its name implies, it’s inspired by that nostalgic cereal milk flavor.
“Many of our regular customers have been frequently requesting it,” Mendoza says. “It’s our smooth matcha latte infused with cozy cinnamon flavor. It’s topped with a creamy cold foam that brings everything together for the perfect balance of sweet, spiced and refreshing.”
Mendoza says she learned to make matcha from watching YouTube, but coming up with the drinks on her menu took a lot of trial and error.
“Finding something that actually worked for me was something I had to play with,” she says. “I just had to keep pouring, keep sipping and asking my close family, ‘Does this taste good?’”
For updates about the business’s menu and availability, follow DEVOS Hawaiʻi on Instagram.
“Thank you everyone for your support,” Mendoza says. “We have nothing but gratitude; everyone has been so supportive. All glory to God; I would not be doing this if it wasn’t for the Lord putting it on my heart.”
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CONTACT
DEVOS Hawaiʻi
Instagram: @devoshawaii
Open 3-6 p.m. Sundays
Preorders required; direct message the business on Instagram
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
