S’mores latte. Haupia pie matcha. Love is love latte. These are just a few of the specials you can find this month at Coffee Cruiser, which usually pops up at Laulani Community Park in ‘Ewa Beach.
Coffee Cruiser opened in August 2024, according to business owner Brittney Haitsuka.
“I have always loved coffee and VW buses,” says Haitsuka, who says she was a barista during college. “At that time, I was working part-time as a gymnastics instructor, and I just felt like I needed more of a purpose in life. A mobile coffee shop felt just right, and it was the best decision I ever made.”
Coffee Cruiser has popped up at Laulani Community Park since its opening.
“This park doesn’t normally have food trucks, but I did see a shave ice truck one time,” Haitsuka says. “There is a lot of parking (here); that’s one of the main things (I was looking for).”
When it came to choosing a name for her business, Haitsuka says she wanted something short and to the point. She uses beans from Big Island Coffee Roasters for her coffees.
“I’m from the Big Island, so I wanted to use a Big Island brand,” she says.
Coffee Cruiser’s menu features coffees, iced teas, specialty lattes and matchas. Only in-person orders are accepted.
“I wanted to give a variety (on my menu), so there’s something for everyone,” Haitsuka says. “The most popular matcha is the jungle fever ($8). It has 3 grams of matcha, macnut syrup, white chocolate and your choice of milk.”
The business’s bestselling drink is its banana bread latte ($8), according to Haitsuka. It features two shots of espresso, banana syrup, white chocolate, cinnamon and the customer’s choice of milk (whole, oat or almond).
She notes that the groovy latte ($8) — two shots of espresso, hazelnut syrup, white chocolate and your choice of milk — is another customer favorite.
“My personal favorite is a seasonal special called the Sunday Stack latte,” she adds. “It has two shots of espresso, maple syrup, white chocolate and I usually get oat milk. I also love this one as a matcha.”
June specials include the s’mores latte ($8) — complete with marshmallow fluff, chocolate and marshmallow syrup — haupia pie latte or matcha ($8), and love is love latte or matcha ($8). The latter is inspired by Pride Month, according to Haitsuka.
“At the end of the month, 50% of the proceeds from the ‘love is love’ drink will be donated to Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation,” she says.
Customers can add toppings to the s’mores latte, which is returning drink from last year. Additional toppings include whipped cream, Golden Graham bits and chocolate (50 cents each).
Additional toppings like whipped cream and Fruity Pebbles (50 cents each) are also available for the love is love latte.
Coffee Cruiser also partners with other small businesses to sell their baked goods for customers to enjoy with their coffees or matchas. She currently partners with Chat’s Sweets by Charity — for its banana bread and brownaners, or pastries featuring a banana bread top and brownie base — and Lyman Lattes for its mini stuffed croissants.
“I’ve partnered with her (Chelsey Lyman of Lyman Lattes) pretty much since the beginning,” Haitsuka says. “Around two months after I opened, she reached out to me. She normally drops off baked goods every morning and we sell them here.”
Every croissant is twice baked and baked fresh to order, according to owner/baker Chelsey Lyman.
“In 2022, my husband and I were selling bottled coffees, but we needed a pastry to accompany them,” she says. “I decided to make my favorite almond croissants. Then, from there, our croissants ended up taking off and becoming more popular than our coffees.
“I wanted to sell something unique that you don’t see many people selling,” she adds. “While everyone was making sourdough during the Covid-19 pandemic, I was learning to make croissants.”
Customers can find a variety of the mini filled croissants ($3.50 each) at Coffee Cruiser. Popular flavors include strawberry guava, ube haupia and brown butter chocolate chip.
“Seasonal flavors for the summer will be s’mores — which is my most popular seasonal items — and Fruity Pebbles,” Lyman confirms.
Due to the age of the VW bus — 1973, according to Haitsuka — the business does not participate in events across Oʻahu. However, customers can order bottled drinks to-go.
“We are not able to travel further than the ‘Ewa Beach or Kapolei area,” she confirms. “However, we do offer our drink to-go bottles in bulk since we are not able to be on location (at events). If you bring the bottle back (on your next visit), you get 10% off. Customers like to stock up for their work week.”
She adds that the business is big on prioritizing community.
“We love our regular (customers), which is why we have stamp cards,” Haitsuka says. “We also like to collaborate with a lot of other businesses often. Supporting small, locally owned businesses is super important to us. Aside from that, we just want to ensure that we are always serving good coffee and good vibes.”
CONTACT
Coffee Cruiser
Laulani Community Park
91-6221 Kapolei Pkwy., ‘Ewa Beach
Instagram: @coffeecruiserhi
Open 8 a.m. to noon Fridays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
