Kaua‘i Coffee Secures 15-Year Lease, Ending Months of Uncertainty on 3,100-Acre Farm
June 26 - 2026
Coffee Geography Magazine
Kaua‘i Coffee Co. and its parent company, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, have reached a final agreement with property owner Brue Baukol Capital Partners on a new 15-year agricultural lease, preserving the future of Hawai‘i’s largest coffee farm and ending a protracted, at times confrontational standoff over the land.
The deal, announced Thursday, guarantees that operations will continue uninterrupted on the 3,100-acre estate that is home to more than 4 million coffee trees. It also rescinds previous Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices that had signaled potential layoffs, securing the jobs of all of the company’s approximately 140 employees.
“Kaua‘i Coffee has always belonged to the people of Kaua‘i and that will never change,” General Manager Brian Kubicki said in the announcement. “Our appreciation for the overwhelming outpouring of support and aloha from our community can’t be overstated. We are proud to say that our roots remain exactly where they belong, our team is entirely secure, and we are actively looking forward to bringing even more job opportunities to our local community as we grow.”
The agreement follows months of tense negotiations. A WARN notice dated Jan. 12 and an additional notice on March 5 had raised the specter of mass terminations before both were formally rescinded on May 1. At the time, Kubicki told the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations that the company was continuing to negotiate in good faith toward a long-term lease.
The farm traces its origins to the early 1800s as McBryde Sugar Co., one of Hawai‘i’s first sugar plantations. Its 1987 transformation into Kaua‘i Coffee remains one of the state’s largest diversified agricultural projects in the past half-century. Part of the global Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group since 2011, Kaua‘i Coffee is now the largest coffee grower in the United States.
Matthew Smith, president of Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, said the long-term lease provides the stability needed to execute a “forward-looking growth strategy.”
“Our role at MZB-USA is to serve as a strong foundational backbone for Kaua‘i Coffee, providing the national scale and robust distribution network needed to protect and amplify what makes this farm so special,” Smith said. “We believe completely in the local team, the community and the land. By securing this long-term lease, we’re ensuring that the local operation has the stability and support it needs to thrive and continue growing the finest coffee in America.”
According to the company, the new lease guarantees the continuity of Kaua‘i Coffee’s core values, including maintaining the farm’s global Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and Non-GMO Project certifications, continuing its Fair Trade Community Development program, keeping operations at its popular visitor destination running, and pursuing strategic investments in farming technology, machinery and visitor experiences aimed at creating new local jobs.
Brue Baukol Capital Partners, a Denver-based real estate investment firm, said the renewed lease “underscores a shared commitment to preserving agriculture, supporting local employment and responsibly stewarding approximately 3,100 acres designated as Important Agricultural Land.” The firm also noted the agreement provides flexibility to evaluate other agricultural opportunities on portions of the property that are not currently being cultivated.
“Kaua‘i Coffee Co. and its employees have been exceptional stewards of these lands for the past 15 years, and we are grateful for the care, dedication, and commitment they have shown,” said James Priestley, vice president of Brue Baukol Capital Partners. “We are excited about the future of Kaua‘i Coffee and proud to support the continued growth of one of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic agricultural brands. This agreement preserves local jobs, keeps these lands in productive agricultural use, and creates new opportunities to explore additional agricultural activities and community benefits in the years ahead.”
Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami welcomed the resolution, calling the coffee company “an iconic part of our island’s agricultural heritage” and “an important source of local jobs and economic opportunity.”
“We appreciate the commitment shown by Kaua‘i Coffee and BBCP to preserving agricultural operations, supporting local families and investing in the long-term success of our community,” Kawakami said. “We look forward to seeing Kaua‘i Coffee continue to thrive for generations to come.”