BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:Hawaiian blend brewing

Looking to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, who in the 1930s and ‘40s traveled the world as a photographer for National Geographic, Costa Mesa resident Wes Johnson set out to see the world after graduating high school.

After four years of service in the Navy where we fulfilled some of his travel dreams, he worked in construction. After getting his contractor’s license, he moved to Oahu for a job.

It was there he fell in love.

“I developed a deep love of the islands,” he said.

After almost three years of living the island life, he returned to Costa Mesa to be closer to his son, but the aloha spirit never left him.

It was his love and admiration for Hawaii that led him to open the House of Tiki on Newport Boulevard five years ago. Last month, after a lengthy design and permit process, he opened Hot Lava Java in the space next door, fulfilling his longtime dream of owning a coffee shop. But it’s not all coffee. They are also purveyors of shaved ice, a popular treat in Hawaii.

“It’s just that feeling of having a Hawaiian-based business and having that feeling of aloha,” he said. “Many of our customers are connected with the islands somehow … and they all have stories to tell.”

Johnson offers customers many items rarely found on the mainland, including “manapuas” — dumplings filled with barbecued pork — and “malasadas,” doughnut-like oval pastries. Drinks range from fruit smoothies to the most popular drink, the Molokai Mocha — Johnson’s favorite concoction.

His recipe for success involves the quality of his products and the ambience he’s created for customers, many of whom have a similar tie to the islands. Johnson, who designs furniture sold at the House of Tiki, and his buddies handmade almost everything in the coffee shop, from the surfboard counters to the bamboo ceilings.

His expertise comes from his time in the construction business. He started constructing a lot of tiki bars and other Hawaiian-themed areas and found it difficult to find quality items for the jobs. That’s when the idea for the House of Tiki hit him.

For the past five years, he’s sold everything from bamboo purses to complete tiki bars at the shop. Business has been good. The shop’s customers are a diverse lot, including locals and tourists.

“You’d be surprised at how many people we get who just got back from Hawaii and forgot to get a gift for someone,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s business is “ohana,” meaning all the employees are like an extended family, he said. Some even are family. Sharon Moffatt and her daughter work at the shop and other mom-and-children teams also work at the House of Tiki. Besides being able to work alongside loved ones, Moffatt said the shops invoke fond memories of the islands.

“It’s nice coming to work. It’s like a vacation, with all this aloha and things from Hawaii,” she said.

Hot Lava Java is open for business and is across from Triangle Square at 1860 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa. For more information call (949) 642-LAVA.