Business Monday: Colorful orchids breathe a fresh energy to a new Hilo cafe

On the corner of Hualālai and Kino‘ole streets, a new café has opened in Hilo, transforming a space that housed a skateboard shop ramp for the past 10 years into a chic, comfortable and communal area filled with colorful orchids.

Faii Metawee and Caleb Houck opened Blooms Café on June 22, two months after deciding to move the business from Houck’s greenhouse in Panaʻewa to a brick-and-mortar building to accommodate a growing menu and customer base.

“This is not something I ever saw for myself, but I am so grateful to share my own menu and homemade foods with people,” Metawee said. “We worked hard to make this a beautiful café, and I am so happy when people compliment and love what we do.”

She never cooked or baked when she lived in Thailand, because it was cheaper and easier to eat out. But after moving to the United States and marrying her husband, she realized dining out every meal would be too expensive.

“I knew she was a good cook, but it wasn’t until I had her mango sticky rice that I was urging her to sell it to others,” Houck said. “It was just so uniquely delicious, and I knew others would love it, too.”

Metawee began by making 20 sticky rice patties and selling them on Facebook Marketplace. When that went well, she partnered with her husband’s orchid business, Jungle Mist Orchids, and set up a mini café inside one of his greenhouses.

“She has always supported my dreams as an orchid grower, so it was easy to turn that around on her because she is so talented at everything she tries,” Houck said. “People around the neighborhood started to come by for coffee or one of her baked goods, and sometimes people coming to buy orchids would be excited to purchase a snack, too.”

After a few months of this arrangement, Metawee and Houck realized there wasn’t much room to grow the café at that location and decided at the end of April to look for storefronts in Hilo.

In January, the longtime tenants of 215 Hualani St., Oasis Skateboards, decided to vacate their longtime space.

“I have always been a believer in manifestation and following the path of least resistance, and I feel like that is how this whole coffee shop just came to fruition,” Houck said. “This island has a crazy way of making things happen like that, and if you grab onto the opportunities, you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

Houck and Metawee filled the space with comfortable chairs, tables and, of course, orchids from Jungle Mist. They are scattered throughout the café and available for purchase.

Since opening a little over a month ago, Houck and Metawee have been excited by the number of customers who have visited out of curiosity and have been complimentary of the space and what they offer the community.

“We’re not selling a lot of orchids yet, but I think they enhance the vibe and help bring people in,” Houck said. “Tthe natural beauty is a draw for people. I think the atmosphere is definitely something Hilo needs, and the orchids do set it apart from other cafés.”

“The orchids are therapeutic for people and just make people feel happy,” Metawee said. “I’ve had a few customers return to work, and I love knowing they feel comfortable enough to stay here for a while.”

Blooms Café is about a three-minute drive from downtown Hilo, so its customer base has mostly been locals interested in trying a new spot. Metawee and Houck hope to maintain the customer base by keeping prices low compared to other cafés.

“We are still in the early stages and will see how our finances look after the second month, but I am hopeful that orchid sales will help supplement our overhead costs so we don’t have to raise prices,” Houck said. “We want to remain affordable for locals living here because they deserve access to quality food and a quality atmosphere.”

Metawee has created a regular menu of coffee, teas and smoothies, and offers specials depending on what local produce they harvest from their garden or purchase from local farmers. She also brings in freshly made sandwiches, cakes, pastries and yogurts every day.

The menu includes regular coffee beans imported from the mainland and Hawaiian beans that are more expensive. Customers can purchase hot and iced coffee, espresso shots and special iced teas, including Thai Milk Tea, Mango Jasmine Tea, Pandan Tea and Lemon Butterfly Pea Tea.

There also are six classic smoothies: mango, banana chocolate, pineapple coconut, mango passionfruit, mixed berry and lychee — and four special smoothies, which change seasonally.

“Everything we offer is natural, including our sweetener,” Metawee said. “We don’t use refined sugar; we use the natural sweetness of local honey. Also, I started to see that we were producing a lot of waste, so I am introducing this deal: if you bring your own coffee cup, you’ll get a 5 percent discount.”

After receiving feedback in their first month, Metawee and Houck have increased the hours for Blooms Café to accommodate more people. They are open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

To keep up with specials, discounts, and any changes at the café, Metawee regularly updates the Blooms Café Instagram page.