Cane St. Cafe in Wahiawa brews coffee — and second chances

News admin July 30, 2026 0 Comments

Cane St. Cafe in Wahiawa brews coffee — and second chances

WAHIAWA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Cane St. Cafe serves more than lattes and matcha along North Cane Street in Wahiawa.

The coffee shop opened in February 2024, taking over the former Top Hat Bar space. Along with drinks and food, the cafe also offers copy services — a practical add-on for customers running errands in town.

Behind the counter is a broader mission tied to the Hope Education Center under New Hope Central Oahu. Director Lori Shimabukuro said the center helps people in need — including kupuna and veterans — navigate services, benefits and paperwork without having to travel to town multiple times.

“Hope Education Center provides services to folks who are indigent, people in need, kupuna, and can be veterans,” Shimabukuro said. “Anyone in the community that has a need… we try to be there for them.”

Cafe co-manager Wesley Maxwell said Cane St. Cafe also functions as a steppingstone back into the workforce through a community-based employment pipeline.

“We decided that we can open up this coffee shop… and that could reach out to people who need a job,” Maxwell said. He explained that participants can be placed at the cafe through a state back-to-work program, learn barista and customer service skills, then move on to long-term jobs. “This is only a temporary position to get them back into the workforce,” he said.

The cafe also partners with students seeking experience and volunteer credits, including University of Hawai‘i students interested in vocational training. Former volunteer Nicole Agsalda said the experience helped build confidence while learning new skills.

“It was a positive experience for me… I had never tried to be a barista before,” Agsalda said. “For me, just learning something new… I wanted to come here and reach out to other people.”

Shimabukuro said the space is meant to be a gathering place for the community — especially after the isolation of the pandemic. Since opening, they’ve held meetings, CPR training and events like Coffee with a Cop.

“We’re still on the journey, but it’s a great opportunity to just gather the community,” she said.

Cane St. Cafe is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.