Opening a coffee shop has always been a dream for Kawai Mielke. She and Mia Cordes recently opened Pū Kena, a coffee trailer located along Kamehameha Highway in ‘Aiea.
“With several years of experience as a barista and my background in business — and growing up in the food and beverage industry — we decided to bring our experiences and passions together to open Pū Kena,” Mielke says.
She explains that pū means “together” and kena means “quenched” or “satisfied" in Hawaiian. Choosing a spot along Kamehameha Highway was also intentional.
“We named and created this place with the idea of it being a gathering place — a space where we can come together to share stories, nourish connections and build a lasting community, all while enjoying a cup of coffee,” she says. “We felt our location was perfect because it is both, the entrance and exit of ‘Aiea; we felt the community needed a coffee spot where people could gather, connect and enjoy a quality cup of coffee.”
Pū Kena offers coffees, matchas, teas and acai bowls. The business sources its coffee beans from White Nene in Kona; meanwhile, its matcha is sourced directly from Uji, Japan, according to Mielke.
“We created our menu with the hope of becoming everyone’s go-to coffee spot — whether it’s in the morning before work, during a lunch break, or whenever you’re craving a nice boost of caffeine,” she says. “We take pride in sourcing quality ingredients. All of our syrups are homemade, and we strive to make our drinks well-balanced — sweet enough to be delicious, while still allowing you to taste the quality of our coffee and matcha.”
Popular drinks include the Waimomi latte ($8) — made with homemade vanilla syrup and topped with kūlolo cold foam — the chocolate haupia latte ($8.45), which features a rich chocolate syrup finished with coconut coal foam and chocolate nibs; and the Hawaiian honey ($8), which is made with Hoʻōla honey, matcha and kūlolo cold foam.
The business’s strawberry fresa ($7.50) — comprising matcha, strawberry puree, vanilla cold foam and toasted cinnamon — is another customer favorite.
The coffee trailer is currently open daily from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“One of our main goals with this business is to support as many local businesses as possible,” Mielke says. “When you visit our shop, please make sure to take a look at our local list; we hope that if you discover or enjoy a product or business, you’ll consider showing them some love and supporting them, too. At Pū Kena, we believe in supporting one another and growing together as a community.”
CONTACT
Pū Kena
98-291 Kamehameha Hwy., ‘Aiea
Instagram: @pukena.coffee
Open daily, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
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