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ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"The old ways are da bess!","type":"text"}]

Firefly the word Pow in comic book 539230 Large

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Classic interrogation technique</title>

Today's social media find comes from waikikipd, on how to get the truth out of some low-life.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Classic interrogation technique

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Business & Tourism

Isaiah Corpus, a 25-year-old who grew up in Waiʻanae, said that he knew as a teenager that he wanted to run his own retail store someday.

“I am the first member of my family to have a store on my own and am proud to have started this business by myself,”

I’ve always been an ocean and beach enthusiast: I taught myself to surf and kayak. I helped at beach cleanups and always want to give back to the ocean and marine life. That’s how I created my business.”

About a year ago, Corpus hatched the plan for 

Shop Kainalu, a Hawaiʻi inspired lifestyle and apparel brand, set to open this spring in Seattle, where he has lived since 2024. 

Corpus added that the initial investment for the venture came from his savings.

He said he took a few business classes and met mentors and coaches, who helped with the paperwork like applying for a state business license.

“I didn’t realize how long it would take to retrieve, but despite that, it all worked out in the end,” he said. "Iʻm excited to have my business out there and to launch soon."

While his primary job is with Hawaiian Airlines, Corpus said, he currently operates a one-man shop, overseeing the fashion and graphic design elements of its products, as well as the renovation of the new space in Seattle's University District, which is expected “to take a couple more months.”

The store is slated to open in May, with a traditional Hawaiian blessing, he said. Other priorities for Corpus ahead of the launch include working on finalizing the website (currently down), hand drawing more designs to ramp up inventory, while recruiting brand ambassadors and, eventually, a team for the store.

When asked what makes Shop Kainalu stand out, he told ASD, “I use eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton, recycled fabrics and renewable textiles that reduce waste, preserve resources and eliminate harmful chemicals, embracing innovative, slow impact production methods for my store. I want to ensure that every clothing item I make not only elevates modern style but also protects the ocean.”

The brand will soon offer tees, totes, swimwear, and a range of other everyday essentials for men, women, and the home, according to 

The biz’s name in Native Hawaiian means ocean wave, which he says “integrates my purpose behind my story. … On a personal level, [I'm] always surfing, going to the beach, so when you shop at my store, you shop to care for the environment, that’s how the name came up.”

In Seattle, he continues to volunteer at cleanups and noted that a portion of the proceeds from the shop with go toward local ocean conservation groups and nonprofits.  

As a new small business owner, Corpus said he’s "still in the learning process" but has already found support from Seattle- and Hawaiʻi-owned small businesses alike. 

Interested in connecting with Corpus? Email 

His plans for the future include opening up another retail store in the Islands. Fun fact: White Plains Beach in ʻEwa Beach is a must-visit whenever Corpus comes home, which is usually monthly.

i culture and community continue to shape who I am and what I build," he said. “Even while living on the continent, Hawai

i remains at the center of my work and purpose. This journey reflects many Hawai

i people building something away from home while staying deeply connected.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Isaiah Corpus 16x9

<title>Small business owner with Hawaiʻi roots to open first store in Seattle</title>

Born and raised on Oʻahu, Isaiah Corpus plans to launch Shop Kainalu, a Hawaiʻi inspired lifestyle and apparel brand, in Washington where he now lives. Corpus, a self-described ocean and beach enthusiast from Waiʻanae, discusses the details leading up to its spring debut, as well as his hope to open another retail store in his island home.

Small business owner with Hawaiʻi roots to open first store in Seattle

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Downtown Art Center has entered into a five-year contract with the City and County of Honolulu to continue use of space on Nuʻuanu Avenue, according to representatives of the nonprofit, which operates a gallery, classroom space and gift shop in the Chinatown/Downtown area.

The agreement, signed Friday, Dec. 12, follows a five-year period in which DAC had month-to-month contracts.

DAC is located at 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave, on the second floor of Chinatown Gateway Plaza, above the Downtown Satellite City Hall.

“This moment is deeply meaningful,” said DAC Executive Director Sandra Pohl in a written statement. “Not only does it affirm the work we’ve built together as a community, it honors a dream that began decades ago.”

The signing coincides with the anniversary of the death of her husband, 

, an artist who had the vision to create a gallery and place for arts education in the Chinatown/Downtown area, the nonprofit said, adding that DAC manages a collection of his art.

The Hawaiʻi Handweaver’s Hui and Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance have physical residence at DAC. Other nonprofits that collaborate with DAC include Hawaiʻi Craftsmen, Hawaiʻi Watercolor Society, Hawaiʻi Potters Guild, Pastel Artists of Hawaiʻi, Glass Fusion Collective, Honolulu Printmakers and Pacific New Media Foundation.

In January, DAC is offering several art experiences including: 

, an artist-run uninstructed drawing period with live models ($15 per session). 

Upcoming gallery exhibits at DAC include the 

“Honouliuli National Historic Site 10th Anniversary Exhibition,”

which commemorates the largest and longest run WWII prisoner of war camp in Hawaiʻi (Jan. 2-17); the 

“18th Annual Exhibition of Korea Culture Design Council”

“Go Figure 2026: Figures & Portraits from Hawaiʻi’s Artists”

 displayed more than 20 paintings at DAC as part of “Kintsugi Joy,” an exhibit focused on the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold.

DAC’s gallery and gift shop are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Monday. 

Downtown Art Center

<title>Downtown Art Center signs five-year deal</title>

A nonprofit that offers exhibit space, classrooms for arts education and a gift shop with local artwork just signed a deal with the City and County of Honolulu to continue its work in the Chinatown/Downtown area for the next few years.

Downtown Art Center signs five-year deal

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

As the new year dawns, so too do a swath of new laws set to take effect Jan. 1.

While many state bills take effect the instant they are signed into law or on July 1, the start of the fiscal year, many others are intended take effect at the start of the new year following their passage.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here are some of the new things to keep in mind under the new laws:"}]

You can’t park too close to a crosswalk

. A new parking regulation takes effect Jan. 1, courtesy of 

, which prohibits vehicles from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk or intersection, “regardless of the presence or absence of official signs or curb markings.”

A vehicle can still park in that 20-foot buffer zone only if it’s an emergency vehicle, a government vehicle, or a broken-down vehicle. Drivers can also pause in the buffer zone when yielding to an emergency vehicle.

[{"type":"text","text":"Violating these regulations will result in a $50 fine."}]

. In 2025, draft beer was subject to a lower tax rate than “beer other than draft beer." The 2025 rate was $0.54 per wine gallon for draft beer, and $0.93 per wine gallon for other beers.

But state law also defined “draft beer” as beer sold in an individual container of seven or more gallons, which lawmakers and advocates found was out-of-step with industry practices. 

, passed this year, noted that most retailers, bars and small brewers sell what is commonly referred to as “draft beer” out of kegs smaller than seven gallons.

Consequently, Act 90 changes the definition of “draft beer” to mean “beer in an individual container of five gallons or more,” allowing more sellers to take advantage of the lower tax rate.

In Sept. 2002, the state cigarette tax was $0.05 for each cigarette sold. By 2011, following a years-long string of incremental tax hikes, the tax was $0.16 per cigarette, where it sat for years.

 increases the tax once more to $0.18 per cigarette sold. The law also stipulates that some of those tax revenues will go to the state’s cancer research special fund.

The state’s tax on transient accommodation rental proceeds has been 9.25% since 2010. As of today, under 

Cruise ship operators will have to pay an 11% TAT rate beginning today under the same law.

State vehicle insurance requirements will double. 

Currently, the state requires drivers to have a vehicle insurance policy that includes liability coverage of at least $20,000 per person and at least $10,000 for all damages arising from an accident.

, those minimums will double: coverage of at least $40,000 per person and at least $20,000 for accident damage.

Fines for driving without vehicle insurance will also increase, although they won’t double: the fine for a first offense will remain $500, but a subsequent offense within five years will increase from a minimum of $1,500 to a minimum of $2,000.

Pharmacy technicians will need to be licensed. 

 requires that pharmacies must only employ registered pharmacy techs to carry out tasks including “filling, packaging, manipulative, repetitive or other nondiscretionary tasks.”

Pharmacy tech licenses must be renewed by the end of each odd-numbered year, and will require an unspecified fee.

Kayak rental companies will need to register their vessels

. As part of an effort to limit the impacts of over-tourism on state waterways, 

 imposes registration requirements on rental watercraft.

The law specifically notes “the proliferation of rental kayaks and stand-up paddleboards statewide,” and imposes new requirements on any vessel rented or leased to traverse “navigable waters of a state park” — which truthfully only applies to Kaua‘i's Wailuā River, Ahupua‘a ‘O Kahana State Park on O‘ahu and the Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park on Hawai‘i Island.

Beginning Jan. 1, rental vessels used in state parks must be registered with the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ State Parks Division and display a registration number.

State capitol 022725

<title>New year, new laws</title>

Parking regulations and tax changes go into effect Jan. 1.

New year, new laws

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

After more than four decades in Ko Olina, Paradise Cove Lū‘au will take its final bow this week, but those who want to take a piece of the history home with them can.

Items from the lū‘au are being sold in an 

 that opened last week. Managed by O‘ahu Auctions, bidding ends at 6 p.m. Jan. 13.

Up for grabs are a variety of items, including signage; benches, chair and other furniture; plants; tiki statutes; golf carts and other vehicles; clothing, outrigger canoes and kayaks; instruments and audio equipment; cameras and photography equipment, and more.

“This is not your typical offering,” O‘ahu Auctions President Dave Brandt said in a statement. “We are taking bids on inventory from departments across this well-run and long-lived local company, from facilities maintenance to entertainment.”

(ICYMI: Aloha State Daily spoke to one of the lū‘au’s longtime musicians and entertainers ahead of its closure. You can 

Paradise Cove’s Dec. 31 closure allows the landowner, James Campbell Co., to proceed with a 

The cove property — acquired by James Campbell in 1877 — has been used commercially since the 1970s and was last redeveloped in the early 1990s.

 says that the project aims to "update the commercial lū‘au show and create an authentic Hawaiian outdoor recreation facility and community gathering place for kama‘āina and visitors that honors and reflects history, culture and connection to place."

According to the EIS, plans call for demolishing several existing dated structures at the site and existing concrete walls within the shoreline setback area, after which the site will be restored to pre-existing conditions before being redeveloped.

In addition to a new amphitheater and performing arts venue, other planned updates noted in the EIS include an improved main arrival area, retail shops hosting Hawai‘i-made goods, restaurants and a marketplace and common areas.

James Campbell Co., a Hawai‘i-based and nationally diversified real estate company

told ASD in an email earlier this month that it is advancing Waianiani at the Cove in partnership with Kobayashi Group and BlackSand Capital.

“The project is envisioned as a welcoming gathering place for both kama‘āina and visitors, featuring cultural entertainment and education alongside locally focused retail, restaurants, open spaces and beach-oriented gathering areas,” the company said, noting that the project, designed to support local businesses and artisans, is expected to generate close to 500 full-time jobs when complete.

“Waianiani at the Cove represents a generational opportunity to honor the site’s cultural legacy while creating a vibrant gathering place that brings together culture, dining, entertainment, and local businesses,” Kevin Penn, president and CEO of James Campbell Co., said in a statement provided to ASD. “We look forward to being underway with construction in the new year.”

Neither Penn nor the company specified a timeline for that construction.

Last month, Maui-based T S Restaurants announced plans for Duke’s at the Cove, which it says will anchor Waianiani at The Cove. This will be T S Restaurants’ second new location in the Islands in more than 15 years, after Duke’s Kona at the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa later in 2026, a November announcement noted.

“What makes this Duke’s so special is the West O’ahu community,” T S Restaurants CEO Jackie Reed said in that announcement. “We’ve always been rooted in Hawai‘i and inspired by its people and culture. This is our chance to bring the Duke’s experience closer to home for families who live, work and play on the Leeward Coast. Being more accessible to West O‘ahu residents makes this opening especially meaningful for our team.”

Family-owned T S Restaurants was founded in 1977 and owns and operates 13 restaurants in Hawai‘i and California, including Duke’s Waikiki and Hula Grill Waikiki on O‘ahu; Kimo’s, Leilani’s on the Beach, Hula Grill Kā‘anapali and Duke’s Beach House on Maui; and Duke’s Kaua‘i and Keoki’s Paradise on Kaua‘i

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Paradise cove luau acution 2

<title>Items from Paradise Cove Lū‘au for sale at auction</title>

Curtains close on the long-running attraction Dec. 31 — the closure making way for a planned redevelopment of the West O‘ahu  property — but you can take a piece of the history home with you.

Items from Paradise Cove Lū‘au for sale at auction

Welcome the new year with savings — and a lucky bag or two.

Meaning “lucky bag,” Fukubukuro is Japanese New Year custom where shops and merchants offer mystery bags at discounted prices.

Here are a few malls and retailers participating in 

AMC Fukubukuro2026 Lifestyle Images 8

<title>Where to go for Fukubukuro this year</title>

Meaning “lucky bag,” Fukubukuro is Japanese New Year custom where shops and merchants offer mystery bags at discounted prices. Here are a few places to check out.

Where to go for Fukubukuro this year

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 is opening soon in Kapolei Commons. Its soft opening is coming soon (no exact date given yet), while its grand opening will be in January 2026.

The bakery is located by Massage Envy and Verizon Wireless (in the former space of Teriyaki Madness) in the shopping center.

This is the Japanese-style bakery’s sixth location on O‘ahu, but this store is different because it’ll have a larger menu, according to business owner Alberto Fernandez.

“This is the sixth location, but it’s not easier than any of the other ones before,” says Fernandez, who co-owns BRUG Bakery with his wife, Miho Choi Fernandez. “Now, we have more experience; we hope to do better overall as a team, to be organized and deliver a beautiful, high-quality product from day one. It’s a lot of feelings and emotions — stress, happiness, and excitement — all at once.”

The bakery is known for its soft breads made with high-quality ingredients, including flour from Hokkaido, Japan. The bread doughs are made daily by hand. BRUG makes more than 70 pastries each day.

At the new location, customers can find signature pastries like beef curry pan, Kuma choco custard, melon pan, neko pan filled with original strawberry buttercream and more.

“We’ll have melon pan, custard pan, all the ones that made BRUG famous in Hawaiʻi, as well as our loaves of bread,” Fernandez confirms.

He says the bakery’s Arabiki sausage roll, monkey bread, custard pan, melon pan, bacon epi and curry pan are some of the best-selling pastries. Eventually, the Kapolei store will have location-exclusive pastries, too.

Speaking of exclusive products, the Kapolei store will be the only one (for now) to offer Kuma-inspired cakes.

“We are not going to make custom-order mini cakes,” Fernandez clarifies. “We just wanted to create a product that can become very BRUG, something that — the same way when you see the Kuma (bear) chocolate — people think more about BRUG. We are very Kuma-inspired.”

Cakes will be made daily at the Kapolei store. Customers can look forward to desserts like strawberry shortcake, strawberry mousse cake, chocolate mousse cake, cream cheese panna cotta, strawberry panna cotta, custard cream puffs and more. Prices for the cakes, panna cottas and cream puffs are not yet available.

The store will also feature an expanded drink line-up, according to Fernandez.

“This is the first location where we are doing a full coffee shop drink menu,” he says. “For the other stores, we added hot coffee, then we started adding cold brews, then we started to have matcha. We started espresso-based drinks at Pearlridge and Manoa (stores). This one (Kapolei) has the full barista menu with hot and cold drinks.”

Customers can look forward to Kapolei-exclusives frappes — in flavors like mango, Chai, matcha and strawberry banana — and specialty drinks like strawberry matcha and strawberry milk. Fernandez expects the latter two to be especially popular.

“The strawberry matcha uses the same strawberry milk that we do at (our sister business) Mana Sandwiches,” he says. “It’s made with real strawberry puree.”

Opening in West Oʻahu has been a longtime goal, according to Fernandez, who says he’s “really excited” for the soft opening.

“I like hanging around here, even though I live in town and enjoy town,” he says. “The vibe is just different. It’s a drive-to destination, so that’s why this location is bigger and has more options.

“To me, community building is so important; I have confidence that it’s going to be a good addition,” he adds.

Once the bakery launches, it will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

BRUG Bakery Kapolei Alberto 122625

<title>BRUG Bakery to open soon in Kapolei</title>

This is sixth location for BRUG Bakery, which is known for its soft breads and pastries made with high-quality flour from Hokkaido, Japan. The Kapolei location features exclusive cakes and an extended drink menu. The bakery’s soft opening will be soon; its grand opening will be in January 2026.

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Classic interrogation technique

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