Roasters and Ambassador of Aloha
Our Philosophy
We are a speciality coffee roasting company and we love geeking out on coffee. If you like talking about latte art and coffee extraction percentage, you’re right up our alley. With all that said, we also believe that coffee is about relationship and sharing aloha. We don’t want to be known as “coffee snobs.” In fact in order to progress Hawaii’s specialty coffee community, we believe the opposite approach must be taken. We want to be open, approachable and transparent. Above all, we know that we must prioritize relationship because that is what coffee is about. Building relationships with local farmers, small businesses, and people in general, we hope to be able to pursuit great tasting coffee together. We not only see ourselves as a coffee roasting company that is promoting Hawaiian coffee but also as ambassadors of aloha and hope that our words, actions, and way of running our business reflects the aloha spirit.
The Team
Mark Kove is the owner, head roaster, and latte art instructor at White Nene Coffee Roasters. Born and raised in Kona, Mark grew up building houses with his dad who was a hard working General Contractor in the Kona community. However, a terrible construction accident back in 2005 left Mark’s lower extremity partially paralyzed and he walks with the assistant of his forearm crutches. This doesn’t hold him back from doing anything and he continue to work diligently to pursue his dream in coffee.
Mark’s first exposure to specialty coffee was during his time living in S. Korea after spending so much time at coffeeshops during his language studies. His fascination in latte art was the catalyst that sparked his interest in specialty coffee. Since then, Mark has become a Licensed Q Arabica Grader and has also obtain multiple SCA certifications in the areas of roasting and sensory. At White Nene Coffee Roasters, Mark roast on a MillCity 3KG and an Ikawa50 Pro.
Being one of the few “physically challenged” worker in the coffee industry, Mark finds much of his strength in his Christian faith. He really believes that everything in life happens for a reason and that God’s grace is sufficient for us in all aspect of our lives. Holding this close to his heart, Mark stepped out in faith to pursue his dream in bringing people together over great tasting Hawaiian coffee. He hopes that you enjoy every sip of our coffee and that it becomes a special moment of your day with the people you love. Mahalo for all of your support.
