Elepoki Coffee was founded in August 2018 by Cory and Connie Koi, third-generation farmers who leased 5 acres from Ka’u Mahi to cultivate coffee. Connie’s grandfather grew coffee in South Kona in the 1950s, and her father, Francis, remembers helping on the family farm as a child. Interestingly, Connie’s mother’s (Trinidad (Dancel) Marques) parents had land directly across from her father’s family’s farm in Kona, where she recalls seeing her future husband (Francis Marques) and his family working hard. 

After the closure of Ka’u Sugar in 1996, displaced workers turned to growing coffee, leasing five-acre parcels from the plantation. This marked the beginning of Cloud Rest Coffee Farms in Moalua, Ka’u. Despite being lesser-known compared to Kona Coffee, Ka’u Coffee overcame many challenges. Their perseverance paid off when they won first and second place in the Creative Division of the 2014 Hawaii Cupping Association competition and ranked in the top 10 in the 2012 Specialty Coffee Association of America competition, where they competed with coffees from around the world. 

Cory, also a third-generation farmer, comes from a family known for their tomatoes and cucumbers at Koi Farms (Roy Koi), Mountain View. 

Encouraged by their parents success in growing and marketing Ka’u Coffee, Cory and Connie decided to lease a 5-acre parcel in 2018, coinciding with Cory’s retirement from the Police Department after 28 years. Over time, Cory expanded their holdings by acquiring additional parcels, eventually purchasing 26 acres in total and continuing to lease 5 acres from the Ka’u Coffee Mill. 

They cultivate unique Arabica varieties in the Ka’u region, including typica, yellow bourbon, red bourbon, maragogipe, and caturra. Their coffee grows at an altitude of 1,800 feet above sea level, with an average rainfall of 70 inches, in rich volcanic soil, yielding superior quality beans. 

• Typica: Sweet and mild, with chocolate and nut notes, hints of spice, mild and balanced acidity, conjuring dried fruit and dark stone fruit flavors. 
• Bourbon: A natural mutation of typica, with a sweet taste, velvety body, smooth finish, and crisp acidity. The yellow bourbon has a smooth, creamy mouthfeel with medium acidity, while the red bourbon is known for deep, buttery chocolate flavors and light fruit overtones. 
• Caturra: A sought-after coffee variety, balanced, sweet, citrusy, with aromas of maple and honey. It is a natural hybrid of bourbon and known for its bountiful yield despite the small stature of its trees. 
• Maragogipe: Also known as “elephant” coffee beans due to their large size, this rare variety has sweet aromas of cocoa, toffee, and tobacco, with flavors of white grape and plum. 

As newcomers in the coffee industry, Elepoki Coffee is optimistic about their prospects in the 2024 cupping competitions, hoping to earn recognition.