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| - I drink a lot of coffee and appreciate a "local" non- chain experience. Kona 13 is near my house and just north of Shea on Frank Lloyd Wright in a little strip mall. I'd love to give them 5 stars- they seem to try really hard- they're friendly and pretty quick although the drive through isn't automated (neither is Dutch Bros, which is surprising) so you can't give them your order in advance, but they hustle when they get it and often have someone outside to get your order in advance.
Their coffee is KONA, certainly one of the best in the world, bit pricey. But they also have a wide selection of juices, smoothies and other specialties.
They're obviously not trying to be Starbucks which is good in a lot of ways. But I can't give them 5 stars because I don't understand their model. A "neighborhood" coffee shop is definitely missing in my part of town, but this is not a place to meet friends and hang out or get some work done and relax. They have a counter with a couple of seats. The first time I tried it, I went with my laptop and phone and thought I'd be able to sit at a table with a great cup of coffee, get to know the people working there and get a little work done in what looked like a hip little place. It IS a hip little place with a cute pseudo-Hawaiian theme. Alas, although it SEEMS like the space is big enough, there are NO TABLES, no wi-fi and apparently it's not in the plan...much like Dutch Brothers. Also, since I'm now at the drive thru daily, I asked about a punch card or loyalty program and its a little convoluted- it's some version of a prepaid card, which is ok, but I tend to lose punch cards. I haven't lost my Dutch Bros punch card and got a nice $6.00 freebie, but without a phone app, which I don't expect from a neighborhood joint, if I lose it, I've lost cash.
So if you live in Fountain Hills or drive down Shea to the 101, it's worth the detour and avoiding the crowds at Starbucks, but unfortunately, it's not the neighborjood hang-out in the traditional local coffee shop sense that you might prefer, as I do, but the coffee and espresso drinks, while not cheap, are excellent and of you're a drive thru type (which I often am) it's a great little find. With a couple of tweaks, like fixing the punch card program, it could easily be a 5 star and if they decide to pursue being a neighborhood hang out by adding indoor and outdoor tables, wi-fi and a restroom, it could be better than 5 stars. I like it and recommend it as long as you know what youre getting and it's the kind of place you're looking for.
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