About JN Coffee

Beginning a new career at 50 was not what Leo Norberte envisioned when he originally arrived in Hawaii from the Philippines. Like many other immigrants, Leo at a young age migrated to Hawaii for opportunities in the sugar industry. He was living the American Dream: he got married, started a family, and purchased a home. However, everything changed when the sugar cane plantation shut down in 1996. In the small town of Pahala, where Ka'u Sugar provided the main source of employment, Leo and hundreds of his fellow workers found themselves unemployed. The displaced workers were offered a chance to lease land for farming as a source of income. With no other alternatives, Leo took the opportunity to cultivate coffee, hoping to support his family. Unfortunately, farming requires time, and it took years before seeing any profit. To make ends meet, Leo took a job as a cook at the Volcano House. When he interviewed, he was asked if he had any culinary training. Though he did not other than cooking for his family, Leo answered "YES," eager to secure the position. And he did. Each night, Leo watched cooking shows, took notes, and wrote down recipes. Every day at work, he practiced what he learned and although not traditionally trained, Leo gained his culinary education. It is this dedication, perseverance and love for his craft that Leo, along with his supportive wife Hermie and daughter Joann were able to learn the coffee industry from day one.

As the years passed, the coffee business began to flourish. The coffee trees matured, and Leo was finally able to harvest cherries to sell. Over the next few years, JN Coffee Farms participated in numerous cupping competitions to promote the Ka'u Coffee Region. It was a challenging journey, as Ka'u Coffee often lived in the shadow of its more famous neighbor, Kona Coffee. It took years for Ka'u Coffee to be acknowledged as one of the premier coffee regions in the world.

With that recognition, Ka'u Coffee thrived. Leo and his wife Hermie struggled to keep up with the demand. At this stage, Leo chose to retire from his culinary career to focus entirely on the farm. Hermie eventually stepped back from her role as a Math Teacher at Ka'u High School to assist Leo in managing the business. What started off as 5 acres back in 1996 has grown to nearly 55 acres with still talk of expansion. To this day, at ages 75 and 80, Hermie and Leo continue to manage, pack, and deliver coffee across the Island of Hawaii. JN Coffee Farms has kept them youthful over the years as they genuinely enjoy running their own business. They take pride in their work and you will taste their love and passion in every cup of our coffee.

You will find them both still stocking the shelves at various stores across the island. We encourage you to stop and talk story with them as they love to hear from their customers.