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Gourmet Valentine's Day on a budget

By Tracy Gladden - bio | email

HONOLULU (KHNL) - Lovebirds listen up. Valentine's Day is just around the corner and if you don't want to spend a bundle on dinner reservations explore a wallet friendly gourmet date. This Valentine's Day love is in the air, and in your latte. For those looking to save a few on this hallmark holiday, the Honolulu Coffee Company offers a cheap alternative to a Valentine's Day date without sacrificing quality.

"I think that's more of an original though than the old tradition of going to dinner or lunches, buying flowers and whatnot," coffee shop regular Mike Lum said.

"I'm looking to spend less money and do more outdoor kinds of stuff," coffee shop regular Jim Brown said.

"There's something about coffee shops always have that kind of intimate feel to them," Barista Pete Licata said.

The shop even has entertainment. Watch raw green beans transform into the brown roasted beans. "I bring my kids in here once in a while and they just stand over the railing and check it out," Lum said.

After the Kona coffee beans are roasted, the barista takes over. The past two years Pete Licata finished in second place at the United States Barista Championships. "I have a lot of people that say it looks to pretty, but then I have to tell them it tastes even better than it looks you have to taste it," Pete Licata said.

The best thing about going to a coffee shop for Valentine's Day is you get your gourmet coffee plus you get to take your pastries to go. The head pastry chef spent the past four years at Chef Mavro's. She prepares special valentines treats. "The sparkling wine jelly and the chocolate decadence very rich very moist delicious," Pastry Chef Hiromi Okura said.

Delicious and just 4 bucks and that's an economical holiday.