Alexus Dickens, owner and operator of Chillex Pops, officially started her business when she was a freshman in high school. Even though she was only 14 years old, Dickens says her “passion for entrepreneurship started much earlier.”
“I grew up surrounded by family members in business — from my grandparents, who have their own storefront (Marlyn Meat Market) in Chinatown, to my aunties, who do pop-ups alongside me,” Dickens says. “Growing up around business owners taught me that entrepreneurship is about so much more than making money. I think part of me always knew I wanted to create something of my own someday; I just didn’t know what it would look like yet.”
Chillex Pops started selling Filipino ice candy, also known as ice buko, according to Dickens.
“My mom used it (ice buko) as a side hustle to make extra income as a single parent,” Dickens explains. “She eventually taught me her recipes and that became the starting point for Chillex Pops. From there, I started experimenting, learning and expanding our menu into the specialty beverages — from our matcha lattes and coconut water beverages to our coffees — we are known for today.
“For my business name, I knew I wanted something fun and playful with the word ‘chill,’ because I wanted the name to give the feeling that you could come cool down with us,” she adds. “I also wanted to incorporate my name — Lex — so I combined the two.”
Chillex Pops now focuses more on serving specialty drinks.
“Our menu is something special to us, as every drink is made with so much love and effort,” Dickens says. “Each beverage has taken weeks — sometimes, even months — of testing and perfecting everything from our homemade syrups to our creamy cold foams.”
Dickens originally started making matcha because it was highly requested by her family members. Through the process, she realized she enjoyed experimenting with different flavors and creating new specialty drinks.
“One of our most popular drinks is our banana bread matcha latte ($10), made with housemade banana bread syrup, oat milk, ceremonial matcha, vanilla cold foam and banana chips,” Dickens says. “Another favorite is our cookie butter cold brew ($10), made with homemade cookie butter syrup, steeped cold brew, oat milk, cookie butter cold foam and Biscoff crumbs.”
The biz is currently featuring a seasonal special — its cinnamon roll matcha latte ($13) includes oat milk, ceremonial matcha, vanilla foam and a housemade mini cinnamon roll as a topper.
Other menu items include strawberry matcha lattes ($10), mango matcha lattes ($10) and a regular cold brew ($8).
The biz pops up at events across Oʻahu, including every third Friday at What the Truck?! at Waikele. Dickens’ next goal for her business is to have a “cafe on wheels” or a storefront.
“We still have so much to learn and so much room to grow, but we’re excited to keep trying new things and build Chillex Pops little by little,” she says. “We’re a keiki-owned, Filipino-inspired business, and everything we do is very personal to me and my family. As a 17-year-old business owner, I’m proud that I get to bring pieces of my Filipino and Hawaii upbringing into our menu, while creating something that people can enjoy.”
For updates and to see where it will be next, follow Chillex Pops on Instagram. The business is one of the featured vendors at the upcoming Whisk & Brew: Coffee + Matcha Fest, coming up Sept. 13 at Wai Kai.
“I watched my family work hard for what they had, sacrifice, stay consistent, and build something of their own,” Dickens says. “Seeing that hustle firsthand showed me the value of working for what you want, even when it isn’t easy. When people support Chillex Pops, they’re not just supporting a small business; they’re supporting a young, local entrepreneur’s dream behind it. I’m really grateful for everyone who has supported us and believed in us along the way.”
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
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