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King eventz lazy

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Lazy days</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @King.Eventz, who has a sleepy assistant.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Lazy days

He might not be good at his job, but he is cute!  Make sure you follow @King.Eventz on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"A new food court just opened in the Liliha neighborhood."}]

Liliha Food Court recently opened in the former space of Foodland Liliha on School Street. Right now, the food court is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. Hours will be extended in November.

The space — which includes seating for customers — currently features five local food vendors, but we’re told more (a bakery and a sushi spot) will be coming soon.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here’s what you can find:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Desserts from Tiny Pyramid Express"}]

Tiny Pyramid is known for its French pastries; this express location features some of the shop’s most popular desserts, including chocolate peanut butter ($6.50), citrus tart ($6.95) and, of course, its chocolate pyramid ($7.85).

This express location also offers sandwiches ($9.99), pizzas ($8.99-$12.99), and pastas ($12.99).

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Build-your-own poke bowls from Mermaid Poke"}]

Mermaid Poke comes from the team behind Osoyami Grill and Bar and Noods Ramen Bar. The biz offers build-your-own poke bowls and poke nachos (called ‘ahi pokechos).

Poke bowls feature white rice topped with one ($15) or two ($18) poke flavors. Both include two sides.

Choose from unique poke flavors like yellow curry aioli ‘ahi poke, kimchi ‘ahi poke, truffle ponzu ‘ahi poke and more. Sides include crab salad, cucumber, seaweed salad, takuan, pickled ginger and more. You can also add free toppings like furikake, garlic chips, fried onions and masago arare.

The business’s ‘ahi pokechos ($18), or poke nachos, feature spicy or shoyu ‘ahi and kabayaki glaze, furikake and green onions.

Burritos, bowls, tacos and more from Jalapeno’s Authentic Mexican Food

Jalapeno’s Authentic Mexican Food — which has a storefront in Kailua — offers burritos, bowls, tortas, tacos and quesadillas with a variety of proteins. Meats range from chicken and carnitas to asada (steak) and shredded beef birria.

The three quesabirria tacos and consommé ($21.75) is one of the most popular options. You can add cilantro, onions and lime to the consommé to enhance its flavor. You can also opt for additional toppings on your tacos, ranging from lettuce and cheese to corn and jalapenos.

The biz also offers guacamole and chips ($10.50), nachos ($18.50) and loaded fiesta fries ($19.50).

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Homemade Italian dishes from Nonnas Hawaiʻi"}]

Family-owned and -operated Nonnas Hawaiʻi features homemade Italian dishes. Its Italian cocktails will be available soon; the business is still waiting to receive its liquor license.

Right now, a limited menu is available, including ballconi ($13) and mini minestrone shooters ($6). The eatery will eventually offer Mediterranean salads ($9) and build-your-own charcuterie boards ($25).

The ballconi ($13) is a unique option, as it features beef meatballs in a crispy parmesan cone. It’s topped with housemade sauce and Pecorino Romano.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Local favorites from Dave’s Ice Cream"}]

This location is operated by Dave’s Ice Cream Waipio. Choose from a variety of desserts, ranging from ice cream scoops ($4.99-$8.99) and soda floats ($5.99) to milkshakes and ($8.99-$10.49) and sundaes. Sundaes run the gamut from single scoop options ($7.49) to brownie sundaes ($10.99) and strawberry shortcake sundaes ($14).

This location also features a Dubai-inspired menu with treats like Dubai cheesecakes ($15) and Dubai sundaes ($15). 

Liliha Food Court spread 100925

<title>New Liliha Food Court is now open</title>

The food court, located in the former space of Foodland Liliha, features a variety of local vendors. Food options range from poke bowls and ice cream to quesabirria tacos, and Italian meatballs.

New Liliha Food Court is now open

If you’ve had a difficult time getting in a dinner reservation for 

, you’re now able to try your luck during lunch.

The business — known for its Italian dishes in a cozy ambiance — just started opening for lunch on Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

 told the restaurant had first opened for lunch in 2016 from Tuesdays to Fridays, but lunch service was brief, and the restaurant focused on dinner. This is the first time the eatery has opened for lunch since then.  

The lunch menu is smaller than the dinner menu, but it still offers a wide variety of choices. The prices are the same as dinner, and the menu features many of the eatery’s popular dishes.

Reservations for lunch are highly recommended (

). If you already know what you want, you can include your pre-order when making your reservation.

Appetizers include bruschetta ($12), crostini al porcini ($14) and burrata ($19). The grilled bread topped with fresh mozzarella and porcini mushrooms ($14) is perfect for sharing; the savory mushroom spread is delightful.

Meanwhile, the 8-ounce fresh burrata cheese ($19) is sure to please cheese lovers. It’s served with Ho Farms cherry tomatoes, housemade pesto and crostini. The burrata is creamy and buttery with a mildly sweet flavor. The shredded mozzarella curds are easily spreadable on the crostini. 

Note: Bread service isn’t available during lunch, since guests may be on a limited lunch break.

Insider tip: Even though popular appetizers like the roasted seasoned bone marrow topped with pesto ($34) isn’t listed on the lunch menu, if the restaurant isn’t busy, feel free to inquire about it. If the kitchen isn’t inundated with orders, there’s a chance they might be able to make it for you.

The pasta selection ranges from rigatoni Bolognese ($28) and tagliatelle neri e frutti di mare ($34) — which is squid ink pasta with chopped clams, mussels, tiger shrimp and calamari — to funghi ravioli ($22) and gnocchi tartufo ($28).

The gnocchi tartufo is essentially truffle gnocchi with homemade Italian sausage (without the casing). The gnocchi is cooked perfectly and we loved the creamy, truffle filling. It’s easy to fill up on these pillowy bites of goodness, so pace yourself if you’re set on getting dessert.

Pappardelle Norcina ($28) is one of my favorite pastas on the menu. It features wide pappardelle noodles paired with homemade Italian sausage sauteed with onions, garlic, porcini mushrooms, whole mushrooms and Pecorino Romano. The wide, flat noodles boast the perfect chewy consistency, and are ideal for absorbing the buttery sauce. The dish overall features great textures, thanks to the chewiness from the different mushrooms.

Save room for signature desserts like tiramisu ($12) and crème brulee cheesecake ($12). The cheesecake is my favorite, due to its creamy texture and crispy, caramelized topping.

If you want something more classic, go for the tiramisu. It’s light, airy and moist, with a nice balance between the creamy mascarpone, cocoa and coffee.

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Open for lunch Mondays only, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

La Cucina gnocchi 100625

<title>La Cucina Homestyle Italian Restaurant is now open for lunch on Mondays</title>

The Kakaʻako eatery is known for its homestyle Italian cooking and comforting flavors. For the first time since 2016, the restaurant is open for lunch — on Mondays only.

La Cucina Homestyle Italian Restaurant is now open for lunch on Mondays

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Hawaii History

For more than a century-and-a-half, what is now known as Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i has supported businesses and their interests in the Islands, as well as the broader community.

Founded in 1850, the chamber — the second oldest U.S. chamber organization west of the Rockies — is today a statewide nonprofit that advocates for business in Hawai‘i and represents more than 2,000 members across the Islands. It'll mark its 175th anniversary in October.

To celebrate the milestone, the chamber will host "An Evening of Legacy" gala from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom.

Individual tickets are $179 for Young Professional members, $199 for chamber members and $219 for non-members. The deadline to register is Sept. 29. You can 

The event — which elevates the organization's annual membership luncheon — will include dinner and live entertainment, an auction and recognition awards. It'll also spotlight the chamber's statewide leadership and its 

The chamber has a storied history and to reach the 175th anniversary is certainly a milestone to celebrate.

"Just going through the history books, it's very inspiring [to see] the foresight that founders and the leaders after that [had] in being part of the heart and soul of building our economy here and being a part of that," President and CEO Sherry Menor recently told Aloha State Daily. "And fast-forward to the present day, continuing that momentum and recognizing even more so how important it is to continue that momentum for our future generations and our state's economy."

The chamber's start came as Pacific trade boomed following the California gold rush in the late 1840s.

In the mid-1800s, O‘ahu's population was estimated to be less than 25,000, "Years of Progress: The Remarkable Story of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii," a history of the chamber complied by Maxine B. Sandison in 1998 noted.

Merchants here were "accustomed to supplying local needs and the seasonal visits of the whaling fleets which arrived in the spring and fall," but the gold rush spurred "overwhelming demand" for food and supplies for the gold-seekers coming into the Sacramento Valley, the history reads. People and goods began to move back and forth between Honolulu and San Francisco and stores in Honolulu quickly sold out.

The business boom peaked in 1849 and new organizations were established to meet the demands on business, agriculture and community services, the history notes, including the Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, which was later renamed Chamber of Commerce Honolulu (and even later, dubbed Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i).

In August 1850, King Kamehameha III declared Honolulu the capital of his kingdom, Sandison wrote, and R.C. Wylie, the minister of foreign affairs, and Chief Justice William Lee, with approval of the king's government, suggested to a number of the city's businessmen that they form a chamber of commerce.

On Oct. 15, 1850, about 20 men — including merchants from Lahaina and other ports — met and signed the constitution of the new Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.

"Originally established to unify local merchants and advocate for Hawai‘i’s commercial interests, the Chamber has since evolved into a driving force for economic development, workforce initiatives and policy advocacy," a recent announcement from the chamber noted. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Evolution"}]

Over time, the chamber evolved into a statewide organization "due to the impact that it made in the entire state," Menor told ASD.

Since its inception, the chamber says it has been "instrumental in major political and economic developments." It led the negotiations for the first U.S.-Hawai‘i reciprocity treaty in 1867, authored the Hawaiian National Banking Act in 1884 and advocated for statehood in 1959, according to the announcement.

Over the past 175 years, the Chamber has also 

 some of Hawai‘i's legacy institutions, including the Retail Merchants of Hawai‘i in 1901, the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau in 1903, Aloha United Way in 1919, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i in 1941 and Crime Stoppers Honolulu in 1981, among others. And since 1923, the chamber has served as a trustee to manage the 

"While the merchant men recognized that yes, it's all about commerce, it was more than that," Menor says. "It was about community. How do they build community? That's why ... they started a number of these community-based organizations, because once you have a healthy community, then you have a healthy economy."

Menor says she's proud of how the chamber played a role in forming Hawai‘i's economy and expanding its footprint in the community through the community-based organizations.

"While our mission is to advocate for business, our goal is to go beyond that," she continued. "It's more to advocate for our community so we can build a healthier economy for all the people of Hawai‘i."

Menor — the youngest and first woman to be named president and CEO of the chamber — was 

"I'm certainly grateful and honored to be a part of an organization that I truly believe in," she says. "When I took on this job as the first female president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, I knew it was a huge undertaking. But, as with anything, you just focus on the mission, as well as believing in the mission.

"My mom owned a small business in Hilo, so I recognized how important it was to support our local businesses and recognized the struggles and challenges that our local businesses go through here," Menor continued. "For me, it was an honor to be a part of the organization and eventually lead the organization."

Menor, however, says that the chamber still recognizes the importance of continuing to innovate, challenge the status quo and to come up with new initiatives to expand its footprint in the community — in addition to its advocacy for business and education and workforce development initiatives.

Chamber 1

<title>Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i set to celebrate 175th anniversary</title>

Founded in 1850, the chamber — the second oldest chamber organization west of the Rockies — will mark its 175th anniversary in October. To celebrate the milestone, the chamber will host "An Evening of Legacy" gala on Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom.

Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i set to celebrate 175th anniversary

Hawai‘i hospitality executive Elliot Mills says he and Jerry Gibson, another longtime industry leader, have — first and foremost — been friends "for many many years."

Both men have spent decades working in the sector, leading some of the largest hospitality operations in the Islands, but they've now teamed up to launch Hawai‘i Hospitality Group, a new asset management firm headquartered on O‘ahu, "focused on hotel, resort and tourism-aligned real estate" across the state, a recent announcement noted.

Mills, who serves as CEO and managing partner of HHG, has held leadership roles with Marriott International, oversaw Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, as well as the Disneyland Resort hotels in California, and is a board director for the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Gibson, the president and founding member of Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, previously held senior leadership roles with Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and Blackstone, and was area vice president for Hilton Hotels and Resorts. He serves as president of HHG.

Mills told Aloha State Daily on Monday that an effort like this has "always been in the back of my mind," with both men having spent time with different brands, working in the industry and working locally at different resorts.

As the pair thought about what their careers might look like in the future, Mills says, "we thought that we could provide more value at this stage of our careers, working with specific individuals in the industry, and using the talents that we have locally, along with our strategic partners, to bring added value to some of the ownership groups — also to lend to a broader sense of place for Hawai‘i."

The work they're doing, focused on Hawai‘i as a hospitality asset management group, "doesn't really exist" in the state right now, he said.

According to Mills, the pair thought that with a local perspective, with an understanding of the business here — marketing, sales, revenue, government relations, public relations, cultural issues and other facets —  they could "add a lot of value in that space, and also create a space where Jerry and I could actually work together along with a lot of our long-time friends and associates within the hospitality area."

It also is a chance to "have some fun and work for good people and create value for those individuals who would appreciate us working with them and bringing higher performance levels to the assets that they're managing now and into the future — and also creating a great connection with our community."

Mills says Hawai‘i is a unique place and it benefits the hospitality industry to align with and understand the culture and communities in which it works.

"When that alignment happens, when we consider those issues, the priorities of the community and the host culture and the values that it brings, I think it creates more value for the entire ecosystem, collectively," he said. "Having that perspective and having the experience that Jerry and I have, along with the rest of our partners, helps to create that alignment a little bit better than we have in the past. To share that narrative with ownership groups, the management companies, as well as the guests and consumers who are coming to Hawai‘i, to us is really important. I think the greater we create that alignment, the more successful everybody will be."

Gibson told ASD Monday that the ultimate goal is to create "great value" for their future clients.

"Hawai‘i is really a different community to come into," he says. "We're blessed with all these different ethnic cultures that we have, and a lot of people who do come into Hawai‘i have a difficult time beginning because they don't understand that. Because we have been involved and immersed in this culture so long, I think that that's one real big thing that we could do, obviously, to help them with their businesses, as they begin to hire people in the community, whether they bring in people or not."

Mills said, too, that what's important with the organizations they'd like to work with is creating a great organizational culture within the companies that are tied to assets here.

In the short-term, though, the Mills said one goal is to "make sure everybody understand who we are and what we're doing."

The new organization already has a client list that includes Waikīkī Beach Marriott Resort & Spat and Kaimana Beach Hotel on O‘ahu and Hotel Wailea on Maui.

According to the announcement, HHG offers a range of asset management services including strategic planning and capital alignment, operator and brand oversight, performance optimization, and cultural integration and community engagement.

HHG also works with a "Strategic Partner Network," which includes advisers likes chef and restaurateur Roy Yamaguchi; cultural producer and consultant Afatia Thompson; B.J. Kobayashi, founder and CEO of BlackSand Capital, 

a Hawai‘i-focused real estate private equity firm

; employment and labor law attorney Darin Leong; Eric Heenan, president of Alaka‘i Executive Search; Rob Iopa with WCIT Architecture; Alana Kobayashi Pakkala, CEO of Kobayashi Group; Dean Yamamoto, an attorney focusing on corporate, financing, real estate and regulatory law; Joan Bennet, president and CEO of Bennet Group Strategic Communications; and hospitality real estate consultants and brokers Tim Powell and Kevin Aucello, principals at Powell & Aucello.

Mills told ASD that this team is not comprised of people they trust and have worked with throughout the years, but they're also individuals who are "very deeply rooted in Hawai‘i, best in class in their discipline," who can provide expertise in all facets of hospitality.

Mills gibson

<title>Veteran Hoteliers Launch Next-Gen Hospitality Venture - Aloha State Daily</title>

Elliot Mills and Jerry Gibson have spent decades working in Hawai‘i's hospitality sector, leading some of the state's largest hospitality operations. They've now teamed up to launch Hawai‘i Hospitality Group, a new asset management firm.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Lazy days

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Lazy days

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Dreams do come true

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Going big

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Take a trip

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Too busy vibing

Most read