From FDNY to Hawaii entrepreneur: Tradition Coffee Roasters' growth story

Brian Burik, a native of Queens, New York, served as a lieutenant in the New York Fire Department for 21 years. At the firehouse, surrounded by fellow firefighters, Burik learned the importance of coffee and how it can bring people together, inspiring him to open Tradition Coffee Roasters in Kailua.

“I always remember sitting at that table amongst my coworkers, brothers and sisters ... it just started the conversation. 'Hey, what happened last night? Hey, what are we planning to do today?'” Burik said.

From there, the conversations grew deeper, with people asking about families and growing closer as a unit, according to Burik. “Communication began; the conduit was coffee,” he said.

After retiring, Burik took up coffee roasting as a hobby. He and his wife, Lindsay, who worked on Wall Street, wanted a change. In 2019, the Buriks moved from New York City to Kailua, returning to Lindsay’s mother’s hometown for a fresh start.

“We immediately fell in love with the neighborhood and the people in it,” Burik said. “In Hawaii, we're selfless by nature. We're community-oriented. We're way more comfortable giving than receiving. I think that aspect has helped us fit into our community.”

A year later, the Buriks started the business online during the pandemic and embraced the Windward community. Now, they are among the rising businesses at Kapaa Quarry.

Are your products sourced locally?

We source globally and locally. We have expertise in Hawaii coffee. We work directly with a lot of farms. I take my team to the farms often to help them understand how difficult agriculture and farming is and build that respect, because when we get in front of customers, we share that.

I have some of the most knowledgeable, passionate baristas in Hawaii, if not the U.S. They understand many aspects of this value chain and share it with customers.

It's an open dialogue, similar to the kitchen table.

How has growth been since opening?

We started in 2020 with e-commerce during COVID. Coming out of the pandemic, we were different from many companies that start with a brick-and-mortar location and move into e-commerce.

We built our e-commerce business and expanded our wholesale operations. Since then, we've seen significant year-over-year growth. We have more than 150 wholesale customers.

This year alone, wholesale sales are up 40% year over year. E-commerce continues to grow, and the cafe continues to grow.
The cafe accounts for about 50% of our revenue, wholesale 40% and e-commerce 10%.

E-commerce is something we're still figuring out. Shipping and pricing are challenges, but they're challenges we enjoy tackling.

How have the Kailua and Windward communities shaped your business?

We have a unique spot in Kapaa Quarry Industrial Park, and it's not a place people just happen to walk by. There are nearly 200 businesses there that the community uses, but we grew through word of mouth, creating a welcoming atmosphere and providing great coffee.

Those first few days, it was just Lindsay and I running the entire operation, from barista to roasting to welcoming guests. Now, we have more than 15 employees. Almost everyone is a full-time employee. The community support has been incredible.
I'd like to think it's symbiotic, and we're providing a welcoming atmosphere and great coffee. Customers immediately recognize that community is the focus in how we interact with them.

The businesses we support, even as a relatively small business, can have a great impact on other businesses.

We were given a chance early on by Turtle Bay Resort, a wholesale account we still have at The Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay. When we see a young entrepreneur or someone new to entrepreneurship, we give them a spot on our shelf, let them do pop-ups in our space and promote them on social media.

One thing that is different about small businesses is that even though your impact isn't as great, it can be impactful for those small businesses.

What are your five-year goals for the business?

We purchased a new coffee roaster that will allow us to scale. Our previous roaster handled 12 kilograms per batch; the new roaster handles 35 kilograms per batch, setting us up for growth over the next several years.

You'll see more places serving Tradition Coffee Roasters as that support continues to grow.

The roaster is special because manufacturing is a significant part of our business, which includes food manufacturing, education, tours and tasting experiences.

People can book hourlong tours and tastings to learn more about coffee. Demand continues to grow, and we now offer them six days a week.

When sourcing coffee and purchasing equipment, we follow the principle of being "good to the people, good to the earth."

We send used coffee grounds to composting farms and roasting byproducts to mushroom farms. Our bags can be upcycled, and our cups are compostable.

Across the business, we're trying to have as small an impact on the environment as possible while finding ways for other businesses to use our materials.
That also applies to the roaster. It uses heat efficiently, which was one factor in our decision to purchase it.

As we continue serving more cafes, restaurants and people beginning their own journey, we expect continued growth and support from our wholesale customers.

About Tradition Coffee Roasters
Owner: Brian Burik
Address:
905 Kalanianaole Highway, #3201, Kailua, HI, 96834
Phone: 808-207-7022