Gloria Jean’s Hawaii

Absolutely loved this place. Great music, high end décor, great coffee and nice staff. Then I found out it closed for good this week. That sucks.

I am a very old school Gloria Jeans lover… since the days when they were in Windward Mall. I love that they have added a nice amount of food to their menu. I wish there were more vegan options, but I will settle for their wedges!
The coffee is the main reason I keep coming back. Their Kyoto-​drip is pretty awesome and my husband loves the sparkling version (think iced coffee that feels like soda!).
My one complaint is that 80% of the time, the workers are not pumped to be there so sometimes the service is inconsistent.

Gloria Jean’s joins the other coffee place at Hawaii largest mall being Starbucks, Honolulu coffee company and Nordstroms Ebar. Echoing other reviews, most of the places do not have ample seating but Gloria Jean’s has a very nice store with good seating. Their prices seem little higher than the other options but I see it as having a nice comfy place to sit and enjoy my drink. The season is moving into the summer months and it is sometime not ideal to sit out under the umbrella in the hot Hawaiian sun but in nice air conditioning. Give this place a try… I did!

ICE TEA LEMONADE (W/​PEACH): Be sure to mix it well before you drink it. I happened to drink it right away and was surprised by the generous amount of syrup that sat at the bottom of the cup.
COCONUT BANANA BREAD: It’s a mini loaf (palm size) wrapped in saran wrap. My boyfriend and I got a plate and a knife to share it. It was pretty good. I think it goes well with hot drinks.
POT OF TEA (BLACK): The boyfriend ordered this and let me try some. The presentation was cool. There was the pot, the cup, and the hourglass-​like timer. For best taste, don’t let the tea seep for too long. Remove it immediately especially if you don’t like your tea bitter.
Ambiance: ⁹⁄₁₀
Cleanliness: ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Coffee/​Tea presentation: ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Bathroom in site: ⁰⁄₁₀

I love this place. Whenever I’m in the area and gotta get out of the house to work (#entrepreneurlife) I head over to GJ.
The coffee is a bit expensive but it’s well worth the cost as the flavor is bow chicka wow wow! (Awesome for you confused at my terminology)
Their branding is hella good as well. From chairs to mugs and lighting to servers, GJ has a very distinguished coffee shop feel (bonus fun to the random fact wall)
Food wise, I’ve only had a parfait and rice krispy treat. The parfait was aight but the rice Krispy broke my mouth.
The dudes who work here are friendly, informative, quick and do rather cool latte art.
Bottom line — if you haven’t yet checked them out then what are you waiting for?! You won’t be disappointed (especially you hipster types)

When the new Ewa wing at Ala Moana opened I wanted to try Gloria Jeans. However when we went to to visit Bloomingdales the line for Gloria Jeans was long so I did not go. I finally went the other day. It was a hot day so I decided to get the Mocha Cocoa loco chiller. This is there version of Starbuck’s Frappacino or Coffee Bean’s ice blended.
My first impression was that they prepared the coffee in a back kitchen not like other places where they make it right infront of you. Also they took a long time… which made me disappointed.
However when I finally got the product the consistency was very smooth. Taste was ok with a little bit of mocha and chocolate taste. It did not have whipped cream like the other places but that did not take away from the taste. The price was a little expensive as a medium size was around $ 6.
I might try another flavor but will stay with the cheaper places closer to where in live. Not worth driving to Alas for just coffee.

TERRIBLE!!!
Their only draw is the atmosphere and large amount of seating options.
I had a terrible experience with the staff who kept referring to me as a male even after I corrected them several times. It took really long to order a beverage because they seemed to be out of this and that and couldn’t handle a substitution. I was disappointed with the staff and quite upset by the time I left the shop.
Once I finally was able to get just a plain olé coffee, it was terrible. It tasted like someone had burned the beans twice and then ran them through a grinder and poured water over them. Blech I couldn’t even drink it. No amount of sugar or cream could help it. They have all the coffee gadgets, but not the right coffee.
I would definitely make it a point to tell people not to go here.

Starbucks doesn’t really have a good place to sit. Barnes and Noble is always crowded with no electrical outlets. All is not lost.
Located in the new Ewa Wing of Ala Moana it is looking very nice. Entering Gloria Jean’s was different from what I was use to from the mainland where they were more like Starbucks. This looks to be an effort to break away from that to stand out more. Still carrying the same logos and brand items, the décor has a bit of the grunge influence which I like.
Reading the reviews I was a bit fearful coming here. However, my foodie pal, calmed my fears away and reacquainted with the place. We were ending our «Foodie Tour De Force» adventure, #5 stop, here to get something to carry us through the rest of the day. She treated me to my cup… thank you so much.
Madagascan Vanilla Latte
This truly was an enjoyable, delicious cup. Beautiful tan colored with white swirls I couldn’t wait to try it. Creamy, smooth and on the sweet side. Maybe a little too sweet but I didn’t mind. Love the large cup it was served it.
The room is in an «L» shape. We sat in the bottom part of that tucked away. You get a little more privacy there. Romantic if you wanted it to be. For us, a nice area to chit chat away from the hustle and bustle of the mall. There are several electrical outlets to be used for your needs.
We did not have any problems with the service and hence my 5 star rating. I actually found our server to be nice although she may have been apprehensive a bit. It did take a little while for our order to be filled, but after my first taste it was worthwhile.
I’m sure I’ll be coming here more often to chill, use the wifi and do some work drinking a nice big cup.

Coffee meets laid back lounge!
Coming into this place is like walking into my favorite coffee shops in Seattle. I feel totally at home. Love the rustic-​ish, trendy, casual vibe. This is how most coffee shops in Seattle look and feel like. Minus being next to a Bloomingdales of course.
Ambiance ~ 4 stars
Coffee ~ 4 stars
Service ~ 2.5−3 stars. Mostly 2.5 stars!
Love the coffee cups they use. Quite pretty. Love the acai smoothie. It’s pretty big! Also love the coffee menu. Didn’t love the coffee mishaps with ordering. The lady that ringed me up made a mistake for both times that I visited. I think it could be fixed with more trainings perhaps or more coffee knowledge. First time around, I wanted a large latte but she charged me for a mocha. When I checked after I got my receipt, she assured me that I was getting a latte!
And of course: I got a mocha! I do not want chocolate in my coffee. Hence the latte order. The barista fixed it for me but it was a waste of a large mocha in my opinion. Second time: I again wanted a latte and my friend got a vanilla lattes, she seems a little confused by our order. Friendly girl though.
Minus that: I love the coffee! It’s the whole ambiance really. I enjoy the lounge type feel. It’s chill, free wifi if needed. And a pretty good coffee. They even added some designs on my cups. It’s a good place to catch up, meet up or even do work from. Guess I’ll be back soon!

This is a pretty cool place, offering a variant of coffee based drinks, bakery items and even full on food like burgers and sandwiches.
I was at Alamoana overnight for my job yesterday/​the day before and ended up coming here twice in that time, once before work and once after work.
Both experiences with the staff were great, they are attentive and friendly and have no problem giving you suggestions for items if you ask for them.
The space is amazing as well, a very industrial look with bright lights, dark surfaces and decorative «hanging» wires throughout the space. The tables and chairs are very comfortable and they have outlets, outlets which have been vanishing at places like McDonalds and other once laptop friendly places.
You have to order before entering the seating area, which I understand, especially for a space that still offers outlets for customer usage. My friends and I have been guilty of occupying McDonalds for a few hours before even ordering food just because it’s a public place that we can all meet up at.
Drinks: The drink I had was the Loco Mocah Chi.. . Chiller Ch.. . it was a tongue twister, trust me the two staff members that tried to pronounce it for me messed it up too (lol) it’s basicly a chocolate mocha freezy that I got before work. The quality is alright there, nothing totally mind blowing and amazing but very good.
Food: After work I arrived for a nice hot coffee and ended up ordering a BLT. While it had good flavor I would have liked the meat to be hotter, it was a good sandwich but it was like room temperature which sort of killed it for me.
The Salad that came with it was amazing though, their dressing is on point (assuming it’s made in house)
So all in all after two back to back visits I’m willing to 4 star them, I would go back if we were ever in the Ewa expansion though.

Gloria Jean’s Coffee was once in the Ala Moana Center nearly a decade ago, so it was a nice surprise to see them return to mall. They used to be my favorite chain coffeehouse.
Their Ala Moana store is located right next door to Bloomingdale’s and has dine-​in and to-​go options, including all day breakfast, pastries and meal menus. The store has a retail section– to purchase items like coffee beans, specialty teas and k-​cups– a full-​service dining area and a bar area for customers to order drinks and watch their drinks being made.
It was hot afternoon when we stopped by, so we ordered espresso chillers. There were some interesting and notable menu options, like the English toffee twist mocha chiller or the white chocolate caramel cookie chiller — a real tongue twister. We decided to order a Madagascar vanilla caramel chiller and a mint chocolate bomb chiller.
Within 10 minutes of ordering, we received our drinks from a side-​kiosk station where employees blend up all the chillers, fruit and espresso alike. Both drinks were delicious and great for the weather. The mint chocolate bomb chiller had a minty taste, similar to a York peppermint patty, but blended with milk chocolate. The Madagascar vanilla caramel chiller had a strong, creamy vanilla taste with a hint of caramel in each sip.
Drinks come in three sizes: small, medium and large, and are priced from $ 4 to $ 6. You should definitely try Gloria Jean’s Coffee in Ala Moana Center and see for yourself if it fairs well against other coffee competitors.

I’ve never had or even heard of Gloria Jean’s (not a fan of Starbucks either), I was attracted by the rustic décor and think it’s worth to try.
I really like the design, the «chalk board» mural introducing different ways to make coffee around the world. It’s cute.
I ordered a regular sized latte, added an extra shot of espresso, and it costed me more than $ 6 for that regular cup! I thought Starbucks is pricy enough!
Well, given I’ve had tried a $ 15 one portion French pressed coffee, I don’t mind the price for good quality.
However, my coffee did not even make me want to pay more than a McDonald’s price. It was overly overly OVERLY sweet like I will die in diabetes in an instant.
I drink ¼ of it, asked the barista to fill up with hot water (at least I had an extra shot inside). apologized but didn’t offer anything. I just didn’t want to waste products anyways, so I didn’t really want a new one.
Sadly, it is almost «undrinkable», after another ¼ cup. I had to stop. I could taste the sugar/​syrup from the bottom. I seriously don’t want to suffer diabetes and won’t be able to eat normal anymore, just because of this. So at least $ 4 of what I paid went into trash at the end.
Sorry I will not want to waste my money for a «coffee flavored sugar water» another time.

I found a coupon for a free drink in our room and thought, «why not?» I was going to the Ala Moana Center for the shopping and it was for that location :-)
One thing is true, it is in an OUT of the WAY spot. Away from the kerfuffle of the crowds shopping, which is a nice thing so you can sit and enjoy the quiet… however, if you are in a hurry, you should know where you are going to get here.
I went in trepidatiously since there were not a lot of people. I then thought, «well, it is free, at least I can get an idea of how this place is and not have invested any $$». The staff is quite nice and to my happy surprise, the coupon was for ANY size drink they offer. I ordered a medium Vanilla Latte and it was VERY smooth and very tasty. In fact, is soothed my little overwhelmed soul at this very busy mall :-)
I didn’t get the chance to return and I didn’t get the chance to go to any other location. However, at least I have found a place that has a very nice latte :-)

When my sister and I first saw the sign for Gloria Jeans when we visited the new wing at Ala Moana last week we were so excited. We both hadn’t had Gloria’s since living on the mainland and it had been too long! So instead of going for our usual Starbucks fix we headed over to GJ’s.
It was 9:25 on a Monday when we got there and we were excited to see they have a kitchen that makes breakfast specialties. My little sis really wanted the scrambled eggs and salmon bagel. We perused the menu and ordered our coffees, but when my sis went to order her bagel we were told the kitchen was closed. Well the sign said it opened at 9:30 and it was now 9:28. My sis said she would t mind waiting but the cashier said she couldn’t put an order in because the chef wasn’t there yet. Really? Your kitchen OPENS at 9:30 and your chef isn’t even on the premises yet? We said we wouldn’t mind waiting for a few mins but the cashier told us it would be better if we just ordered one of their pre-​baked pastries. Disappointed, my sis got a piece of banana bread and I got a muffin.
We took our pastries to a table and waited for our coffees which actually took quite some time. My sisters vanilla latte came out first and the barista had quite a hard time bringing it to our table because she had filled the cup too high and presented it with the lid off. My coffee came out about 5 minutes after, despite there being no other drink orders. My coffee had a lid and was just plonked down in front of me. While my sister had a Madagascar Vanilla Latte, I had opted for the White Mocha, and we were sad to find that both drinks were incredibly bitter. It tasted like the espresso was burnt and the shots had died before being deposited into our cups. I’ve always loved GJ’s drinks and this was a massive let down after not having it for so long.
Also our pastries were bland and not very good. Expensive for the small amount you got and both my sisters banana bread and my muffin were very crumbly and hard to eat. And annoyingly, just minutes after we sat down, the chef strolled into the kitchen. We watched him make himself a coffee, walk around the café a bit, grab himself a pastry, and do everything but get the kitchen ready for service. This was clearly why the cashier had told us not to bother waiting.
I’ve always held Gloria Jeans to a high standard of excellence where coffee is concerned. But this place needs to get their shit together if they want to succeed. Because for now, they are failing at keeping up to the Gloria Jeans name.

This coffee joint is located in the Ewa Wing (2^nd floor) of Ala Moana Center. The décor and atmosphere is a mix between rustic and hipster, and is very spacious. I love Gloria Jean’s on the mainland so I was very excited when they finally opened a location here on the island.
I always order a Mocha Chiller. I don’t believe you can go wrong with any of their various chillers. But as much as I love their mocha chillers, I haaate bad customer service the most. I’ve been here 3x. The first time, customer service was meh, and it got worse each time. This past visit, the manager/​lead on duty/​whatever was very rude (even before the whip cream incident!). I asked the Barista for whip cream which he gladly obliged, but mid pritzing, the manager said No. The past two times, I’ve always gotten whip cream so I was confused as to why I couldn’t add it on? She didn’t even get me an explanation, just No and shoved the coffee to me. I didn’t make a big deal out of it and I know this seems trivial, but that whole incident irked me.
I went to taste my Mocha Chiller (that I was craving for weeks), and it just didn’t taste right. Something was off, even my husband agreed. All in all — I don’t think I’ll be returning. Their coffee is overpriced anyway. $ 6 for a small chiller! I’m trying to be sympathetic because it’s a new store, but they REALLY need to iron all the customer service kinks. After reading some other Unilocaler reviews… I guess I’m not the only one…
Never again GJ, never again…

I’ve been wanting to try Gloria Jeans ever since it first re-​opened – and since I learned that they serve food, café-​style – but I waited a few weeks before actually checking it out.
I knew GJ opened early, so I went around 9 a.m. on a Friday. I wasn’t sure if they would be really crowded already, since holiday shopping season was in full swing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the coffee shop was empty, save for one other customer! I brought my laptop and some books with me so I could enjoy a leisurely morning breakfast and then get some work done.
There weren’t a huge selection of pastries available, but there were enough that I didn’t know what I wanted to get right off. None of the cupcakes/​cheesecakes are out first thing in the morning, so that option was nixed (guess I’ll just have to come back). But, I decided on a delicious-​looking chocolate croissant, which the staff member offered to warm up for me. There were also blueberry muffins and other pastries available. A gingerbread cookie caught my attention as well – I love gingerbread! – but once I felt it, I decided not to get it. I prefer soft, chewy cookies, and this gingerbread man seemed to be on the crispy, crunchier side.
As far as drinks went, I was really undecided about what to get. All I knew was that I wanted something chocolaty and cold, but there’s tons of options on the menu for that. I was just glad no one was behind me in line because I took forever to order. And, I was grateful that the girl behind the counter didn’t lose her patience with me. She made a few good recommendations and I was happy with my choice (with a mental checklist of what I would try during a future visit).
Once you place your order, if you’re dining in, they’ll call your name to get your drink. However, since there weren’t many customers during the time of my visit, they simply brought my warm croissant and coffee to my table. I also asked for water, and the staff cheerfully obliged.
I was worried that GJ would soon become crowded because the store is still fairly new, but this turned out to be a good place to camp out for three hours and spend a peaceful morning – a good balance of enjoying my pastry and coffee and being productive on my laptop. By the time I was ready to go around 12:30 p.m., the café side was getting busier. I noticed that a lot of people just got their coffee and left, but those ordering food more likely than not wanted to sit down and dine in.
It’s good to know that there’s outlets all over the place, so this is a great place to co-​office. Based on my pleasant experience, I can’t wait to return. I’m hoping I’ll be just as lucky and the coffee shop won’t be too crowded the next time I visit.
Here’s what I got:
«Cookies ‘n Cream Mocha Chiller»: After lots of waffling, I got a small size of this cold drink. I was told the «Chillers» are like frappuccinos and you can opt for the ones with espresso or the plain chocolate ones. The girl recommended this particular one, saying that it was the most popular, so I went with her recommendation. Plus, cookies and cream is basically my go-​to flavor when it comes to ice cream, cookies, cupcakes or frappuccinos. I was pleased with my drink and wouldn’t hesitate to order it again. I asked for soy and was glad they had that option. It really did taste like they blended fresh OREOs in this drink and I enjoyed chewing on the tiny cookie chunks in between bites. Toward the end of my drink, I found myself having to stir the mixture quite a bit to get more liquid out of it – perhaps I was just drinking too quickly, before the drink could melt more – but minor detail. I can see why so many people would love this cookies and cream option. Definitely a winner and I would recommend it to any chocolate or cookie fiend out there.
«Chocolate Croissant»: I probably wouldn’t have gotten this toasted if they didn’t offer, but it was delicious when it was warmed. There’s chocolate drizzled on the outside and you have a thin chocolate layer inside the flaky pastry as well. Pure bliss. It’s interesting that, even when dining in, GJ offers you the pastry inside a sealed brown container that looks like a to-​go box … I was expecting the warmed pastry to come out on a plate, so I was a little surprised. But no complaints about the taste or texture. The croissant was flaky and buttery and the chocolate taste wasn’t actually too strong; you get more of the croissant than the chocolate, which was probably good in my case, since I ordered a sweet drink. Perfect breakfast or early morning option if you want something kind of sweet but not overwhelming.
«Coco Loco Mocha Chiller»: This was the other drink that I contemplated ordering and I still want to try it at some point. I asked what the difference was between this drink and the «Cookies ‘n Cream Chiller» and the girl told me that this version is like a triple chocolate drink … super chocolaty. Sounds perfect for a chocoholic like me.

New baristas who are unfamiliar with the different products on the menu are bringing down this establishment’s tasty reputation. The mint chocolate bomb had a diluted chocolate taste with a weak mint taste. It does not come with chocolate sprinkles as its pervious version nor the finishing sprinkle of cocoa powder on the whip cream. I had high hopes but it was quashed by the reality of a failing business.
I’m looking at every corner of their café area and there are no trash receptacles in sight.

Hey Gloria! Gloria Jean’s! Yet another fance coffee shop! I do recall Gloria and dropped by a few years back, but I’m just not sure if this was in Hawaii or Cali?! Do you? Today it is brand spanking new and located in the busy Ewa wing of Ala Moana! My verdict? Okay…
The good:
Quality Coffee & Teas!
Cool ambiance and roomy!
Tables to sit down and order your coffee!
A large bar area for those on the run!
Pastries are delicious!
The not so good:
The execution is poor!
Confusion with the staff!
The condiment area is run by a barista! Like why?
Bad communication seems to be the glaring prob here!
I’ll definitely give Gloria another try, but like I mentioned above and another reviewer mentioned how horrible the flow is here! It’s true! To us the staff were nice and accommodating, but lacked simple communion with each other which resulted in lots of confusion within the staff! For instance when our orders were ready they went to the wrong table, but it was corrected, but 5 minutes later our order was ready again! LOL!!! Seriously they didn’t update the orders and I guess remade ours! That was weird! Another weird thing… They have a barista running the condiment area!!! How weird is this? I guess trust is an issue with customers here or the price of cream is sky high!
We had the house iced tea and Kyoto cold drip! We added a fruit Danish and a muffin! I probably enjoyed the pastries more than the drinks!!! Okay, even with the weird Gloria experience it was still a pretty cool looking coffee shop and the staff was friendly, but I’ll give it a few more weeks of tweaks before I return!

The coffee shop is beautiful! Very different from when it was located on the ground floor years and years ago.
They just opened so I’m sure they’re getting the kinks out but service was pretty slow. I paid by credit card but they use square or a device similar so it wouldn’t read my card. You’d think a big company would have card reading capable registers.
Then my drink took super long which I guess is to be expected. I took a peek at the screen and the average wait time was almost 11 minutes! So just beware if you’re in a rush.
I ordered a Madagascan vanilla latte. Doesn’t it sound dreamy? But it’s wayyyy to sweet and I LOVE sweet.
Hopefully your experience will be better! Will definitely return to check out a cold brew.

Oh, Gloria Jean… where have you been??? I remember when this coffee shop used to be located downstairs in the Ala Moana Center (now Freaky Tiki Tropical Optical) well before the Starbucks domination. I would stop in to buy whole coffee beans or cups of coffee that featured various country origin. I was hooked on coffee once got my taste for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. it was smooth, silky but expensive! But, Gloria Jean’s suddenly disappeared from the local scene.
So, like a phoenix (apparently, a Japanese company are new owners) Gloria Jean’s has re-​opened in Ala Moana Center’s Ewa Wing. They now have press stations for their coffee, tea and chocolate beverages. Additional offerings are juices and smoothies aka chillers. Service is quick and efficient. The baristas are friendly and knowledgeable as are the sales staff (especially if you’re wanting to purchase coffee beans or other merchandise). There is seating and coffee tables available for you to get that cup of Joe and sip in-​store.
We might just «defect» from our usual coffeeshop and have the coffee specialties from here from now on.
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