Kokua Market Natural Foods Co-Op
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
8 Reviews for Kokua Market Natural Foods Co-Op
There's two things in particular I like about this neighborhood co-op. First, they're the only place I've found that sells Hawaii raised grass fed beef and second, the deli makes some delicious and healthy dishes that change on a daily basis. For all your other health food needs, their selection and prices are reasonable.
I love Kokua Market and hate the politics of the owners of that bigger place down the street. Unfortunately being small Kokua Market sometimes don't have everything I need.
When I was a dance student at the University of Hawaii, between class and rehearsal, a group of us dancers would head to either Kokua or Down To Earth for some food. Kokua was always good for essentials like energy bars or juice, and when you needed to do some quick grocery shopping for your campus apartment (it is about two blocks closer to the dorms than DTE). They also have a decent bulk selection. I really dig the fact that they are a co-op, however, I found that Down To Earth really has more of a selection and I like their deli better.
Recently, I went to Kokua and noticed that they expanded! I still prefer Down To Earth, but it's nice to support a co-op.
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Small health oriented market with deli.
Kokua recently underwent an expansion, so they're not so small anymore. However, being right down the street from Down to Earth, I rarely see any reason to go there. This situation has existed for decades though, so clearly there are enough health food fans on King St. to sustain both businesses. The main differences between Down to Earth and Kokua Market:
* Kokua Market is a coop, Down to Earth is a regular business.
* Kokua Market carries meat, Down to Earth does not.
* Kokua Market is smaller.
There is also some variation in product inventory, Kokua is not just a subset of Down to Earth.
Worth looking into, but unless you're a big coop fan, or looking for meat, head to Down to Earth for one stop shopping.
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Great little co-op in Honolulu. They've recently expanded the place with a brand spanking new deli. Prices are reasonable and the workers are down to earth (no pun intended). Lots of local produce and decent selection of bulk items.
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My former local store and probably kept from getting overweight from all the ono plate lunches I ate elsewhere.
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I shop almost exclusively at Kokua Market now that I am no longer a broke student but a working professional.
You don't shop here if you want deals - deals are down the street at Down to Earth. You shop here because you support the cause. I love that it is a co-op. This basically means that you can pay ~$100 to become a member (and sign up two other people in your household) and partial owner. This means you have a say in how things are run. You also get a free dinner once a year and small discounts when things go on sale.
I love that the aisles of this store aren't lined with Coca-Cola or General Mills products. You can find some pretty awesome things here:
-Fancy cheeses
-Local tofu
-Lilikoi
-Organic fruits (just bought 2 lbs of organic plums, yum!) that actually have some flavor
-Local and/or organic vegetables which are fabulously delicious
-Fancy sorbets
-Local grass fed beef
-Chicken, turkey, cold cuts without nitrates, bison
-Dried bananas (I can eat a whole bag in one day)
-Great coffees, teas, and spices
-Pet food
-Beauty products (although I buy these online mostly), soaps, etc
-Good beer
There is always a parking stall open and you don't have to deal with a parking gatekeeper like Down to Earth has in its garage.
I wish they had some solar panels on their roof and fresh poke.
Lovely little market on the makai side of King (parking in the back). A lot of the food tends to be vegetarian, but they do also carry grass-fed meats. Small selection of prepared foods toward the back of the store.
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