Rainy Day in Waikiki? Warm Up on Kalākaua Avenue
Hot 100% Kona coffee, fresh malasadas and a box to take back to the hotel — five minutes from the beach, open 7 AM to 9 PM.
Rain in Waikiki rarely ruins a whole day. The south shore of Oʻahu is one of the drier parts of the island, and even in the wetter months — roughly October through April — most showers blow through and leave the sidewalks steaming. The smart move is to get off the sand, find something hot, and give the cloud twenty minutes. Kona Coffee Donut at 2142 Kalākaua Ave is about a five-minute walk from Waikiki Beach and pours hot 100% Kona coffee ($7.00) next to fresh malasadas ($3.95) from 7 AM to 9 PM every day. Here's what to order while it pours, what to carry back to the hotel, and a short rainy-day loop along Kalākaua Avenue.
Hot Kona Coffee + a Malasada: $10.95
A cup of 100% Kona coffee ($7.00) and a classic sugar malasada ($3.95). 2142 Kalākaua Ave, about 5 minutes from Waikiki Beach, open 7 AM to 9 PM daily.
Waikiki Rain Is Usually a Short Break, Not a Lost Day
Trade-wind showers tend to roll off the Koʻolau mountains, sprinkle Waikiki and move on — often with a rainbow over Mānoa behind them. Instead of retreating to the hotel room for the afternoon, plan a short indoor stop close to the beach. That's the whole strategy: something hot, something sweet, a few minutes, and you're back outside when the sun returns.
The Warm-Up Order
Every price below is from our register this month:
- •100% Kona Coffee — $7.00, smooth and low in acidity, the cup Hawaii is famous for
- •Kona Pour Over — $10.95, brewed one cup at a time; a good reason to wait out a shower
- •Latte or Cappuccino — $6.35
- •Hot Chocolate — $6.50, the easy pick for anyone who skips coffee
- •Ube Latte — $7.95, purple yam and espresso
- •Caramel Mocha or White Mocha — $8.95
Something Sweet (or Savory) While It Pours
Malasadas are made for grey weather: sugar-rolled, soft and eggy inside. A classic is $3.95, cream-filled $4.95. Mochi donuts are $3.95 each with a chewy rice-flour bite. If you'd rather eat something savory, Korean rice corn dogs start at $6.99 and Spam musubi at $2.95.
Take a Box Back to the Hotel
If the forecast says the rain is settling in, turn it into a room picnic. Malasadas come in a 3-pack ($11.25), 6-pack ($22.50) or dozen ($45.00); cream-filled 6-packs are $28.50. Mochi donuts are $22.50 for six. For the coffee drinkers, a 7 oz bag of 100% Kona coffee ($44.95) or our Lokahi blend ($18.95) means hot coffee in the room the next morning, too.
A Short Rainy-Day Loop on Kalākaua
Start with coffee and malasadas on Kalākaua Avenue. When you're ready to move, the covered walkways of Royal Hawaiian Center and International Market Place are a short walk away for shopping out of the rain. Finish where you started — we're open until 9 PM, so a rainy evening can still end with a malasada ice cream sandwich ($8.95) or one more hot drink.
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Wait Out the Rain With Us
Hot Kona coffee from $7.00, malasadas from $3.95. 2142 Kalākaua Ave, open 7 AM – 9 PM daily.