New coffee chain opens store in Surfside Beach. It is the first SC location
A Hawaii-based coffee shop selling various types of coffee, teas and “Mana” drinks has opened its first South Carolina location.
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii officially started selling drinks on June 18, manager Ron “Crash” Kissell said. Located at 1708 U.S. 17 Business near the Old Time Pottery, this is the first of three locations owners Dawn and B.J. Kinard plan to open in the Myrtle Beach area.
The Kinards previously said they were long-time fans of Bad Ass Coffee after visiting a location in Florida and decided to open their own franchise. The Hawaiian coffee joint has over 30 locations across the United States, according to its website.
Bad Ass Coffee serves favorites such as espresso drinks and cold brew as well as Mana energy drinks. The Mana drinks contain a caffeinated syrup derived from the lotus plant, Kissell said. There are also breakfast and lunch sandwiches on Hawaiian bread.
The shop brews American-roasted coffee as well as a 10% Kona blend. The extra American coffee is turned into the shop’s Koffee Kooler, a blended frozen coffee, while the Kona blend is frozen into ice cubes for iced coffee. This prevents iced coffee from becoming watered down as the ice cubes melt.
Since the shop opened, Kissell said the store has gotten a lot of positive feedback.
“Being in a tourist town, we are getting a lot of tourists, but locals are excited too, because it’s something different,” Kissell said. “There’s only so much Starbucks and Dunkin’ that you can drink.”
Bad Ass Coffee first opened in Hawaii in 1989 and began opening locations on the mainland in 1995, according to its website. The name comes from the donkeys of Kona that carried coffee beans down the mountains. Locals called them the “Bad Ass Ones” because of their stubborn and hard-working nature.
The Surfside Beach Bad Ass Coffee is open every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is different from other coffee shops, as many local shops close during the afternoon. As the store takes off, Kissell said he hopes to host game nights or open mic nights after hours.
“You are greeted with an ‘Aloha,’ and every time you leave, you get a big, ‘Mahalo.’ The vibe is just totally different,” Kissell said.
