I first heard about the coffee cart from a friend who’s a regular customer. "It’s really good," she reported. "They brew each cup fresh, so it doesn’t taste like a thermos."
Days later, I heard from someone else, "Oh, yeah. The coffee couple. They make a killing. Great location."
But when the third person in a month mentioned the mom-and-pop coffee stand, ("They’re really, really nice") I knew there was something going on at the entrance of Kaiser’s Moanalua hospital.
Dan Kessler is a retired Marine helicopter pilot turned restaurateur turned barista. He laughs off raised eyebrows at his diverse career: "Working in food and beverage is a lot like being shot at in a helicopter."
He and his wife, Haruko, have owned and operated Paradise Isle Espresso just outside the main door at Kaiser for the last 8 years, serving about 200 cups of coffee a day, five days a week and a few hours on Saturday.
They offer much more than Kona and House Blend. There’s fancy lattes and mochas and things like li hing strawberry banana granitas. Their hot dogs sell almost as well as the coffee. A jar of biscotti sits next to a stack of li hing gummi sour apples. They aim to please.
Their customers are hospital staff, patients and visitors. Often, patients who have come in to have lab work done come running to the cart as soon as they’re pau, screaming, "They made me fast since last night! Feed me something!"
Dan says serving coffee is a lot like being a bartender. He talks to people, hears their stories and offers comfort in a cup.
"I’m terrible with names, but I know just about everybody’s coffee choice." A favorite family story is about the doctor who ordered the same thing every day. As he was approaching the coffee cart one morning, Dan recognized him and called out, "French Roast!" "No," corrected the doctor. "My name is Mike."
Business is obviously booming. The line is usually three deep and the cart is a jumble of steam, clinking glass bottles and the thuds of the hot dog warmer slamming shut.
I struggle to ask politely about how much money they make. Dan struggles to answer politely. "I’d guess we’re one of the top five busiest carts on the island."
He looks over at coffee distributor David Littman, who has helped himself to a hot dog. "Oh, definitely" Littman agrees between hearty bites.
It’s certainly not a cushy gig, brewing and serving and being on your feet eleven hours a day. But the Kesslers say they enjoy the work and they feel a part of the Kaiser family.
Plus, Dan likes coffee.
"Oh, he loves it," says Haruko. "Drinks it all day. He can live on coffee."
Especially when it doesn’t taste like it came out of a thermos.
