With premium coffee beans, tropical flavor combinations and a friendly team of baristas, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii brings the island vibes to Cypress.

The franchise started in 1989 with the goal of bringing authentic Kona coffee to the mainland and now has over 20 locations across the U.S.

The unique name comes from a local legend. Franchisee Kyle Price said locals would ride donkeys up into the mountains to harvest the coffee beans.

“The best coffee was growing on the volcanoes at the highest altitudes, and so the donkeys that would travel all the way to the top of the volcanoes and bring the coffee beans down were called the bad ass ones,” Price said.

The weather and topography of the Hawaiian Islands make it an ideal place for growing coffee beans.

“Coffee in Hawaii is grown at the perfect altitude,” Price said. “It's grown in amazing soil, so it’s not acidic. It's smooth-textured coffee, and you don't have to water it down with flavors or tons of sugar. It's the perfect bean.”

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii works with a select group of small, local farms to bring these coffee beans back to the mainland.

The coffee shop’s menu features hot, iced and frozen coffee drinks as well as smoothies, tea and energy drinks.

Popular menu items include the Three Waves latte, which features coconut, caramel and macadamia nut flavors; the Monkey Mocha, which features dark chocolate and banana; and the Beach Bliss latte, which features white chocolate and macadamia nut flavors.

The coffee shop’s breakfast menu highlights Hawaiian flavors as well. A popular breakfast sandwich is The Bad Ass One, made with Spam, egg, swiss cheese, pineapple and barbecue drizzle served on King’s Hawaiian sweet bread. Franchisee Heath Rushing said the cinnamon malasada donuts are a customer favorite as well.

Another unique aspect of the coffee shop is its culture. Rushing said the employees at Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii incorporate the island lifestyle into more than just the menu.

“Every day we hope to inspire people to be true to themselves by fueling their inner bad ass with premium Hawaiian coffee and by sharing warm hospitality,” Rushing said. “Every customer will experience the Aloha Spirit when they walk into the store and interact with our amazing baristas,” Rushing said.

In addition, the franchise is active in supporting the Cypress community. The coffee shop previously partnered with the School of Rock next door and had musicians come in and play music for customers. The franchise also supported a local teenager competing in the Miss Teen USA pageant.

On a national level, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii supports programs that provide wildfire relief in Maui, and support U.S. veterans and donkey sanctuaries across the country.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is located at 12904, Fry Road, Cypress. The franchise recently started construction on its second Cypress location at 11930 Barker Cypress Road.

To learn more about Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, go here.

The above story was produced by Multi-platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.