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Ed Schultz

Honolulu Coffee Co.
We have invested a lot in our branding and packaging so that when people leave Hawaii or walk around with our products, we have a very strong visual identity on everything that we sell.

About the Entrepreneur

Ed Schultz is the owner and president of Honolulu Coffee Company, a premium roaster and retailer of fine Kona Coffee. Founded in 1992, the company has grown from one small kiosk in downtown Honolulu to 35 retail locations and cafes in Hawaii and around the world. Ed and his team are dedicated to providing the highest quality coffee roasting and customer experience, and continually work on perfecting their craft.

More with Ed

What forms of marketing work best for Honolulu Coffee Company?

Our customers are our best advertisers. They love our product and when they tell their friends and family about it, it really is the strongest form of marketing. We have also invested a lot in our branding and packaging so that when people leave Hawaii or walk around with our products, we have a very strong visual identity on everything that we sell.

How do you manage your time during the day?

I would say that the key to time management is to schedule ahead. For me, it helps tremendously when I know what my daily goals are and understand what I'm trying to accomplish each day. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get pulled into many directions, so maintaining focus throughout the day is important. I generally schedule ahead what I am going to do for the full day.

What qualities should an entrepreneur look for in a bank?

The most important qualities that I think an entrepreneur should look for in a bank are flexibility and speed of response. For us, there's always different challenges from a capital perspective that we are trying to address. The benefit of being a small, entrepreneurial company is that you can move more quickly against the competition. So for us, having a bank that we can work with that moves quickly really helps us with our competitive advantage.

What do you love best about banking with Hawaii National Bank?

What I love best about banking with Hawaii National Bank has been their responsiveness. We just built a new 9,000 square foot coffee experience center at the edge of Waikiki, and they were fantastic to work in a way that made sense for us. When challenges came up during construction, they responded to those challenges in ways that didn't set us back on our schedule. It's been a great experience working with them on this project.
We create a fun work environment where people want to come to work everyday. We also create a career in coffee – people see it as a way to grow with a Hawaii-based company.
Ed Schultz
Honolulu Coffee Co.

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