Our Newest Pride & Joy
If you are on Oahu, you may have seen our newest pride and joy cruising around town. She’s our 1994 Subaru Sambar microvan, which we have lovingly named Sue, short for the Sue Brew Van (get it... Su-ba-ru... Sue-brew... coffee brewing... we will hold for applause). These vans were originally introduced in 1961 in Japan and have been in production ever since.
The Origins of the Sue Brew Van
After seeing a few of these microvans on island, we knew we needed to find one to perfectly fit the fun and energetic nature of our team at Honolulu Coffee. With the idea of creating a surf club for our employees, we set out to search for the perfect beach cruiser to take to events around town. Fortunately for us, we got connected to Brandon Dobbs, owner of Pacific Import Vehicles. Brandon made the search and importation a total breeze.
We chatted with Brandon recently to gain a bit more understanding about the growing popularity of these kei vans on island. Brandon recounted that he started importing these micro models back in early 2021 after he purchased one for himself. He was stopped frequently with people asking him where he got it and how they could get their hands on one. From that level of interest, he knew that there was obviously a strong demand and he soon started up his vehicle importation business.
That business, Pacific Import Vehicles, has since imported 55+ of these vehicles into Hawai‘i. Driven by the Aloha spirit, Brandon has curated a great network of mechanics, service centers and tire shops so you can drive these vintage cuties with peace of mind that someone is knowledgeable and available to help service it as you go.
Check Brandon out at Instagram: pacificimportvehicles
Visit Brandon's website: https://www.
Why the Subaru Sambar? Common Sense + Community
Well, with raising gas prices, it simply makes sense to have this lightweight street cruiser. Another driving factor in this island trend is the network of people behind each kei van. Whenever you pass a fellow microvan or vintage cruiser of any sort, you can bet there are honks and shakas being thrown! The community behind these micro cruisers truly is one that is a grassroots effort.
And the sense of community doesn't stop there. We brought Sue over to help our friends at Kuilei Cliffs to help in their community efforts. Their mission is to restore the environmental ecosystem and expand the indigenous vegetations near the Diamond Head. We want to have the ability to jump in the van and cruise over to support our friends throughout the community. This restoration efforts perfectly aligns with our core values and thus a perfect activity for Saturday mornings at 9:00 am.
Check them out at Kuileicliffs.org
Sometimes, Sue just takes us around to connect with local artists, makers, and shapers—just like our friend Brent Clem of B. Clem Surfboards! Brent's a one-man-shop. No middle man, no retail stores, no shopping, no compromise. He just gives a little bit of extra time to build your board from scratch using only the highest quality materials.
If you've seen our custom surfboard that hangs proudly on display at our Moana Surfrider location, Brent was the mastermind behind the classic nose rider with all of the makings of our beloved coffee shop. Read more about our surfboard here!
Check his work out at Bclemsurfboards.com
Find and Follow the Sue Brew Van!
You can find our Sue Brew parked our front of the Experience Center, 1800 Kalakaua Ave or in front of the Moana Surfrider. You may also see her parked at any of our favorite surf breaks along the south shore or at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market every Saturday morning.
If you see us, say ALOHA! We are stopped every day by someone asking where we found such an adorable little cruiser. Follow her journey on Instagram at suebrewvan and please be sure to tag any photos that you and your loved ones take with her. We truly aim to spread the Aloha spirit, one smile at a time.
Follow Sue Brew on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suebrewvan/
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