Just off Dairy Road, where the airport runs and grocery stops are part of daily life, a quiet cultural shift is taking place. Inside the Akakū Center, a new café has opened its doors with a purpose far deeper than coffee.
Kapwa Coffee, a Filipino-inspired café that highlights local Filipino flavors and cultures, is now serving on the ground floor of the media center at 333 Dairy Road. It brings with it a simple but powerful message: connection matters.
Named after the Filipino value of kapwa, a term that translates roughly to “fellow being” or “shared self,” the café is rooted in the belief that we are all connected to one another. It’s a worldview, a philosophy, and now, a café. For co-founder Marissa Rowell, Kapwa Coffee is the realization of a longtime vision to create a space that celebrates culture, encourages conversation, and honors identity. She describes it as a place where people can gather, feel seen, and find belonging in small, everyday rituals.
Their most popular drink, the Ube Cold Brew, is as vibrant in flavor as it is in color—smooth, lightly sweet, and infused with earthy purple yam and a robust smooth roast. It’s a refreshing twist on a classic cold brew that feels both familiar and distinctly local. Guests often pair it with the Kapwa Breakfast Sandwich, a savory, satisfying bite served on warm, house-made ube pan de sal. The sandwich layers fluffy eggs, bacon, and captures bold island flavors in a comforting, handheld form.
Kapwa’s hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Rowell and her team designed the café not to be everything to everyone, but to offer quality, consistency, and presence. The shorter schedule allows for sustainable operations and genuine interactions. You’re not likely to feel rushed here. Instead, mornings unfold with a kind of quiet rhythm, one that encourages lingering just a little longer.
In a town filled with coffee options, Kapwa Coffee stands apart—not because of spectacle, but because of sincerity. It doesn’t just serve drinks; it helps to serve meaning. In a world that often moves too quickly, this small café invites you to slow down, take a sip, and remember what it feels like to be connected.
Kapwa Coffee is located on the ground floor of the Akakū Center at 333 Dairy Road in Kahului. They’re open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
For more information, visit kapwacoffeebar.com or follow @kapwacoffeebar on Instagram.
