This hip and hidden campus coffee spot is a Honolulu gem and landmark for university goers and Manoa residents. Serving joe since 1986, rebel-preneur Dennis Suyeoka took over the joint in 1993. Today, Coffeeline serves up homegrown comfort food, excellent coffee and lessons in old-school sustainable restaurant practices.
In the midst of U.H. at Manoa's green overhaul, Coffeeline is the university's longest standing alternative vendor, a blessing for ethical eaters and foodies needing to escape the grips of Sodexo, the university's food service provider. On Coffeeline's menu, Suyeoka shoots it straight (something he is famous for). "Coffeeline is a walk-the-talk environment-friendly alternative," touts the owner. For Suyeoka, it's not about preaching, it's about doing. From gray-water catchment to the reuse and repurposing of take-away containers, Suyeoka°s simple yet purposeful practices keep his shop virtually waste free. "It takes me about two weeks to fill a two-gallon container with trash," he boasts.
Suyeoka prefers the great tasting produce seconds from Chinatown's open-air markets. This keeps his overhead down and gives perfectly edible, although sometime funky looking local produce a delicious destination. He is also a longtime provisioner of locally owned This Is It baked goods. Clean ingredients are a must on the Coffeeline menu. The ingredients are rarely processed, organic whenever possible, and often locally grown. Papayas, bananas and herbs are grown on site and the food waste is composted by Suyeoka himself.
Diners lounge on recycled and repurposed furniture, a mismatched collection of old Formica-topped tables, well worn U.H. desks and chairs and funky vintage couches and stools. Coffeeline also boasts a wide variety of urban planning, sustainability and science publications to "subtly proselytize" Suyeoka's beliefs. "You can't tell people how to do things, but you can sit the information in front of them and hope they learn it for themselves," he says with a wry grin.
Coffeeline is tucked away in the Atherton, a naturally ventilated building that keeps Coffeeline's carbon footprint low. The light and airy feel is essential to the character of Coffeeline, a favorite midday tree house with good eats, a great crowd and strong coffee. And it's perfect for deep green thoughts.