By Allison Young
In 2022, Napali Brewing Co. was a recipient of KIUC’s revolving loan fund from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The fund provides opportunities for both not-for-profit and for-profit entities on Kaua‘i to obtain loans at lower-than-base-rate interest. Napali Brewing Co. opened its doors in Kapaa to the public in the summer of 2023. We interviewed owners Blake and Kati Conant about their journey.
Q: Aloha, Blake. Please tell us a little bit about your family and the story of Napali Brewing Co.
A: I was born in Wainiha and raised in Hanalei. Kati is from Michigan but has lived in many parts of the county in her quest for higher education: New York, Chicago, Italy, Maui and Oregon. I moved to New England in 1976, and together Kati and I moved home to Kaua‘i in 2012.
Q: Tell us about your dream and journey toward opening Napali Brewing Co.
A: We realized that the cost of beer in a retail store was astronomical, so we set off to brew our own. I started in the garage and quickly realized that having a building and proper equipment was essential to a decent-tasting brew. We initially sought to build the brewery in Hanalei. Trying to find sizable commercial space was a huge challenge, so we looked at Kīlauea, but the demand for 3,000 gallons of water a week was too much for that area. We then stumbled upon the old Brick Oven Pizza building. With over 6,000 square feet, our space problem was solved. The 100-stall parking lot was perfect for the area, so off we went. We never looked back.
Q: How did Napali Brewing Co. use the KIUC loan?
A: The loan proceeds were used primarily to assist in the build-out of the facilities here at Napali Brewing Co. Our building was home to several island restaurants over the years. We decided to strip everything inside and start anew.
Q: How many staff are you employing? Are you currently hiring?
A: We currently have 25 employees that cover all three areas of the business, front of the house, back of the house, brewery and ownership. We’re always looking for great servers, bartenders, line cooks, prep cooks and dishwashers. We’ve added two feature music artists to our lineup of awesome entertainment. Friday nights will feature Shilo Pa, and Saturday nights Norman Ka’awa Solomon.
Q: Who can come to the brewery? Can people schedule events?
A: We built this business with our local families and visitors in mind. We are truly family-friendly and will soon have games the little ones can play while parents spend time together. We are not a sports bar. That isn’t to say we won’t have Monday and Thursday night football, but we won’t have our walls splattered with TVs. We hope the Polynesian beer garden will promote interaction between people as they sit and listen to local music seven evenings per week.
We know our community is in need of a large gathering space for events, so we have the Kama’aina Room, which can seat up to 80 guests in a private setting for local business events, birthday parties, weddings and other types of functions.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: Thank you to the talented people who helped us open: brewing consultants Doug Ellenberger and Pratt Rather; Christophe Lebiet, friend and gourmet executive chef; architect Nalani Mahelona; and Willy Estenzo, our general contractor and plumber. Kati put the finishing touches on the paint, furniture, decorations and plant life.
Kati and I are so very grateful to KIUC for all that they have done to help Napali Brewing Co. and what they have done for the community of Kaua‘i.
For current brews, menu and live music schedule, follow Napali Brewing Co. on Facebook and Instagram @napali_brewing_company
KIUC’S REVOLVING LOAN FUND
The KIUC revolving loan fund provides opportunities for both not-for-profit and for-profit entities on Kauaʻi to obtain loans at lower-than-base-rate interest. The primary goal of this program is to build and maintain jobs, diversify Kauaʻi’s economy, and upgrade the public infrastructure when conventional financing is insufficient, unavailable or unfeasible. Applications are received year-round and reviewed by committee. For more information, visit www.kiuc.coop/revolving-loan-fund