Like many couples on vacation, Walter Lappert and I dreamed of finding a way to
live in Hawaii for more than two weeks a year. We never suspected the solution
would appear in the form of an ice cream cone. We returned to Hawaii as often
as possible, and on one visit, Walter bought an ice cream cone that was so
awful we immediately threw it away. He looked at me, I looked at him, and we
proclaimed that we would come back here to make really
fabulous ice cream. Visions of lying on a tropical beach swirled in my head.
Walter said he would build a shack and hang a hammock out back. It sounded
perfect. After all, Walter was a successful San Francisco restaurateur. And
he'd been raised in Europe, where he was no stranger to delicious handmade ice cream
and exquisite bakery goodies. So we packed our bags and found a piece of
land in sleepy Hanapepe Town on the west side of Kauai.
Our "factory" was a single ice cream machine, and our "desk" was a
door on two sawhorses. The first flavors we tested were macadamia
nut and vanilla. It was hard work, but darn it, somebody
had to do it. Hawaii deserved a super-premium ice cream. Those
first two flavors (and the half-gallon of blueberry cheesecake we
made for the electrician) expanded to over two hundred.
 |
|
There was no time for hammocks, and very little relaxing on the beach.
Then, in 1985, we bought a cup of coffee we didn't care for and
immediately threw it away. He looked at me, I looked at him. "Uh, oh,"
I said. Two months later we had a coffee roastery behind our ice cream
factory. And what's a gourmet cup of Kona coffee without a delectable cinnamon roll
to go with it? Together we tested many of our favorite family recipes and now
Lappert's Hawaii's mouth-watering bakery goodies are
becoming as popular as our signature coffees and super-premium ice
cream.
|
|
Walter's gone now, but the aloha that we created together lives on in
everything we do at Lappert's Hawaii. All of
our products are made fresh daily in small batches right in Hanapepe,
Kauai. We continue to use only the finest ingredients, whether in our
ice cream, coffee, or bakery goodies. And that passion for quality holds true
for the Lappert's Hawaii team as well — only the best. Many have been with us since the
beginning, because the concept of ohana (family) is integral to our
success. But the spirit of Aloha is our keystone. It's a way of living
that springs from the heart — and it's the experience we look forward to
sharing with you. Enjoy!
|
We are not related to or affiliated in any manner with Lappert's Ice Cream on
the mainland.
Lappert's Hawaii's products can be found in Hawaii and on the
Internet.
