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| - As far as franchise coffee shops go, this particular location rocks outt pretty hard. The owners Gary and Lisa are dedicated to their craft and it shows in their meticulous preparation of the many varieties of beverage offered here. Smoothies are sweet and refreshing (and refreshing comes in as near necessity in the Arizona summers). Coffee is smooth and roasty and their americanos make for a great alternative to a cup of brewed heaven.
All of their coffee offerings are a blend of hawaiian and other arabica beans roasted to various degrees to bring a rich nutty sweetness. Additionally, they offer a 100% hawaiian coffee prepared in a french press which, as far as small franchise shops go, is a pretty rare treat. All of their beans are roasted within weeks of use (or sale) and they offer whole bean bags retail so you can bring the taste of Maui home with you to do with as you please.
The staff is friendly and helpful, you're greeting with an "Aloha" upon entering and left with a heartfelt "Mahalo" on your way out. Gary specifically is very knowledgable about the art of coffee brewing and constantly reminding the baristas to strive for the "god shot" - a 2 ounce, 24 second rich caramely double espresso shot which they add to all of their espresso beverages.
Coffee Snob Section:
The espresso beans are ground just prior to pulling the shots, the shot timing is right on for a full 2oz and the flavor is typical Kona (nutty) with a mild caramel sweetness and finishes smoky. The roast is a tad dark to showcase the mild sweet floral notes of Kona but the blend itself is only 20% Kona to begin with (IIRC) so this is less of a gripe and more of "just how it is." Also, I tend to prefer ristrettos (~1.5 ounce doubles from ~16g of coffee) but since the resulting espresso is mostly destined for sweetened lattes or frozen cappuccinos (their blended espresso smoothies) I won't be critical on this point.
Overall, this coffee shop is exactly what it claims to be, and then some. The atmosphere is fun and "islandy," the staff is helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly, the coffee is a notch above the rest of glendale's attempted coffee houses and overly scattered Starbucks, and the smoothies hit the spot on hot summer days. I'd recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for a good place to sip some java and take a load off. 5 stars well deserved.
PS. Their Island pulled pork sandwiches are delicious, but they only have a limited supply for lunch, so grab em up while you can!
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