How Duke’s Got Its Name

At Duke’s Hawaiian Coffee, we are in love with our dog and with the sport of surfing. So it made perfect sense to name our company “Duke’s.”
Duke the dog is a platinum-colored shar-pei, the ancient breed of dogs known for its loose, wrinkly skin. We adopted him when he was seven months old, after the military family that first owned him was transferred overseas and had to return him to his breeder. We went to Orange County to meet him and just had to bring him home. We stopped on the way back to buy him a doggie bed, and the very first night he dragged it from the living room into our bedroom because he did not want to leave our side. Now he sleeps at our feet every night.
Because we love surfing, we decided to name our new puppy Duke, in honor of the famous Native Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku. Duke the surfer began swimming and surfing at an early age and turned his talents into an amazing career, winning five U.S. Olympic medals in swimming in the 1912, 1920 and 1924 competitions and putting on surfing exhibitions worldwide. He is credited with taking surfing beyond its Hawaiian roots and popularizing the sport in Australia and Southern California. He was the first person inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame.
Duke the dog, now three years old, loves going on walks and running on the ocean beaches. He loves meeting people, who often stop to ask, “Is that a shar-pei?” and admire his wrinkly coat. Our Duke also enjoys laying around the house on Sunday mornings as we enjoy our cups of 100% Maui bean coffee. He hasn’t been to Hawaii yet, but someday we will fill out the paperwork to meet the islands’ rules for bringing in only healthy pets, and we will take him to play in the waves there. In the meantime, we appreciate the unconditional love that dogs like Duke give. It’s a simple pleasure, but when you have freshly ground Maui coffee in your cup and your dog at your feet, what else do you need?