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Hawai'i Skies

Glassy conditions? We go! Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured in August 2025 by Kevin Inn, president of REMAX Hawaiʻi, at Kāhala Beach.

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Hawaii Skies Kevin Inn 09 26 25

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Dawn patrol</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured in August by Kevin Inn, president of REMAX Hawaiʻi, at Kāhala Beach.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Dawn patrol

Glassy conditions? We go! Today&#039;s Hawai&#039;i Skies was captured in August 2025 by Kevin Inn, president of REMAX Hawaiʻi, at Kāhala Beach. To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Food & Dining

Francis and Charles Higa, the founders of Zippy's Restaurants, were really more than brothers.

"They were best friends growing up," says Francis' son Jason Higa. "It wasn't surprising, I think, to those that knew the two brothers that they would start a business together."

Zippy's, a popular and iconic institution in the Islands, was founded by the Higa brothers in 1966 and will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, to learn about the restaurant's origins, its legacy and more.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"In the beginning"}]

Higa says his dad and uncle were two of six siblings working at a family-owned meat market, which is still operated today by cousins.

"But at that time, Francis and Charlie knew that Higa Meat Market was not going to be big enough to sustain ... six siblings, so they decided to leave [and] start their own business," he told Aloha State Daily earlier this month.

It was the 1960s, and Higa says the pair began to look at different business options. Eventually, they started to talk to restaurant operators — more so drive-in operators, he says. Those operators, though, were quick to discourage the brothers because of their lack of experience — but the pair continued on anyway.

The Higa brothers opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood on Oct. 17, 1966.

They had no culinary background, Jason Higa says, so the duo hired Shiro Matsuo, a chef for then-Gov. John Burns. Matsuo, who went on to open his own restaurant called Shiro's Saimin Haven, helped Higa's father and uncle create the first menu for Zippy's.

"He was an excellent cook, came up with all the recipes for our original menu and that's how Zippy's got started."

The restaurant was open 24 hours at the start. Higa says that was unusual for the time and a lot of business in the early years came between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. "because there were no other options."

Zippy's, he says, became a destination for late night movie-goers, customers from the bars that were open until 2 a.m. and hotel workers coming from or headed to late night shifts in Waikīkī.

"We had a very robust customer base because of the 24 hours of operation, of course seven days a week."

In the early days, Higa says his uncle would work 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. or later, and his father would would 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

"They always felt that one of them should be active at the restaurant to make sure they can support the team members and make sure the customer service was where they wanted it to be," he told ASD. "Growing up, my recollection was my father was always sleeping because he was sleeping during the daytime, preparing to go to work at 6 p.m."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Family traditions"}]

Not surprisingly, Higa — who was around 3 when the first Zippy's opened — says his first job was at Zippy's in Makiki when he was 14.

"My dad wanted me to experience working at an early age and so I worked as a utility dishwasher that first summer, and subsequently would work on the weekends during high school and summers between high school," he says. "I pretty much worked in almost every position in the company over that period before leaving to the Mainland for college."

Higa, though, says he had no desire to lead the company. In fact, after college he went to law school and subsequently spent five years working at a Hawai‘i law firm before returning to Zippy's in 1995. He went through the management training program and worked at various stores and Zippy's central kitchen before taking the leadership position in 2003.

"I had no desire to come back to the family business, but after five years working as an attorney, I realized that there was a special opportunity that I had in terms of coming back to the family business," he says. "The truth is that I think I was motivated from the standpoint of when I grew up, my father was always working, so I really didn't get a chance to get to know him as well as I wanted to. Coming back to the family business in '95 was probably, for me, an opportunity to get to know him better.

"I never worked directly under him at any point before his passing, but I definitely began to understand him as a person, pretty much through the company culture."

[{"type":"text","text":"When his father died, Higa says he didn't feel ready to take the reins."}]

"It eventually took me four years before I realized that, hey, I just got to do my best, and learned over the years how to navigate, how to build our leadership team, how to make decisions. [I] always led by the core values, which gives you a sense of direction in terms of decision-making and that has always helped us to make good decisions along the way."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Legacy"}]

Zippy's has long been popular with kama‘āina. Actor 

 has called it his first stop in the Islands when he visits Hawai‘i. His newest movie, '

' features select scenes filmed at Zippy's ‘Ewa Beach location, and as a tie-in with the movie, Zippy's even offered a limited-time menu item called 

. Former President Barack Obama is said to have frequented the 

 across on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and in Las Vegas. And if you're wondering, it sells more than 

When asked about Zippy's legacy, Higa says it's a byproduct of the last 60 years.

"As I was in the stores, what was clear is that there was a strong connection between our team members and customers," he says. "We still today have many customers, some of them would come in every day. We had customers that would come in for breakfast and lunch and sometimes even dinner, which is just amazing. And so they, of course, got to know the team members. The team members got to know the customers."

[{"type":"text","text":"The connections are multi-generational, too."}]

Higa says there are team members who have children whose first jobs were at Zippy's, "and then you see the multi-generational evolution of our early customers now bringing in their children and then now grandchildren coming into our locations."

"I think that's just a special part of our relationship with our community," he continued. "Francis and Charlie always understood that they were only successful because of our customers and because of the community, so we have a long history of giving back to the community."

And when he's asked about things that have contributed to the chain's 60-year success, Higa cites the core values that go back to Zippy's founders. 

The company uses the acronym CHIPS: commitment, humility, integrity, passion and supportiveness.

"It's really reflective, I think, of why we have been able to stay in business," he says. "So definitely the level of commitment, but also humility, and humility translates into being willing to learn, to evolve. We certainly have done that over our history, a lot of changes that we have to do in order to adapt."

As an example, Higa cites the Covid-19 pandemic, which he says allowed Zippy's to "make a lot of changes, which are benefiting us today."

[{"type":"text","text":"Meanwhile, integrity is \"essential\" in Hawai‘i."}]

"For Francis and Charlie, the reputation of the business was so important, and there's many examples where they didn't care about profit," Higa says. "They were looking at the long-term and making sure they always did the right thing throughout their history and that, I think, created the trust with our customer base and even internally with our team members."

Supportiveness is reflected in Zippy's growth, he told ASD, "especially in the early years, they were very encouraging of team members to advance into management or other positions of greater responsibility."

"I think what they learned early on [is that] expansion created opportunities for team members to continue to progress and grow within the company. We have many team members that have been with us for decades, and started out as a utility, a counter person ... and today they're in executive leadership or management or they're a key part of our administrative positions."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"60th anniversary"}]

How does it feel to hit this milestone and lead the company across that threshold?

"At times, it feels overwhelming, but I realize that is a privilege, for not just for me, but I know for the executive team or any of our longtime team members," Higa says. "They understand the legacy of our founders and how hard the founders worked and we continue to carry on that legacy by remaining successful, figuring out what we need to figure out, and ensure that we can continue to operate because we also realize that we are providing a living for all of our team members."

Zippy's, which will celebrate the milestone throughout the year, kicked off its anniversary celebration earlier this month with the launch of a new line of 60th anniversary merch.

, includes apparel and accessories inspired by the brand's evolving logos and design history.

Zippy's also will introduce limited-time menu offerings and a series of collaborations with Hawai‘i-based businesses throughout the year, including collabs with Kahala, Hawaiian Island Creations, FITTED Hawai‘i, Keiki Kaukau and others, a recent announcement noted. More will be announced through the year.

Higa, who spoke to ASD between back-to-back Kona Low storm systems that battered the Islands this month, shared his gratitude for Zippy's team members, its customers and the community.

Waipahu1971 01

<title>Zippy's Restaurants celebrates 60th anniversary in 2026</title>

Brothers Francis and Charles Higa opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood on Oct. 17, 1966. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, to learn about the restaurant's origins, its legacy and more.

Zippy's Restaurants celebrates 60th anniversary in 2026

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

The seasonal pop-up — presented by Prince Waikīkī and The House of Suntory — soft opens today and is grand opening tomorrow. The pop-up is located on the lobby level of the hotel, and is open from 5 to 10 p.m. (last call 9:30 p.m.) Thursdays to Sundays through May 31.

Attendees can look forward to a curated selection of Beam Suntory cocktails — along with premium sakes, Japanese beers, and select wines by the glass — along with shareable dishes.

Dishes on the food menu include a seafood platter for two ($80), sando trio combo ($25), fresh ‘ahi sashimi ($20), yakitori and yaki onigiri combo ($15), and a matcha dessert combo ($12).

The seafood platter comprises a lobster tail, crab, shrimp, oysters and ‘ahi sashimi. It’s served with lemon wedges, Kona ogo and a variety of sauces (ponzu, mignonette and cocktail).

Meanwhile, the sando trio combo ($25) features Japanese-style sandwiches with fillings like tamago (egg salad), tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) and steak (grilled wagyu skirt steak). The combo features sandwich halves, making it easier for customers to try a little of each. 

The fresh ‘ahi sashimi ($20) and yakitori and yaki onigiri combo ($15) are perfect if you want a pūpū-sized snack. The latter features grilled chicken thigh skewers (three per order) served with a grilled rice ball.

Meanwhile, the matcha dessert combo ($12) features Dave’s matcha ice cream and housemade matcha warabi mochi, served with kinako powder and brown sugar syrup.

The beverage selection includes beers ($9), select wines by the glass ($10), Toki High Balls ($15) and a variety of themed cocktails ($17). Choose from shiso-spritz — shiso-infused Suntory Haku vodka, Midori, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, Bene soda water and expressed lemon peel — Pink Ryu, which is a vibrant mix of dragon fruit, Suntory Roku gin, Haiken lychee vodka, Funkin passion fruit puree and Liquid Alchemist coconut syrup; and Citrus Sanpin.

The latter features Jasmine green tea-infused Suntory Haku vodka, Jasmine green tea syrup, fresh lemon juice, Jasmine green tea and an expressed lemon peel.

Customers can order premium sakes by the glass or bottle. Sake flights ($20) are also available.

[{"type":"text","text":"Complimentary self-parking is available with validation from the pop-up."}]

Open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays

House of Sakura entrance 032626

<title>House of Sakura pop-up opens in Honolulu</title>

This spring pop-up at Prince Waikīkī opens today. It will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays until May 31. Attendees can look forward to curated cocktails, premium sakes and shareable dishes in an aesthetic setting.

House of Sakura pop-up opens in Honolulu

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Government & Politics

Columnists

 through Mānoa Valley, turning school walkways into streams, submerging cars, and making roads impassable. Mānoa Stream jumped from about three feet to 12 feet. At Noelani Elementary, water surged through the campus, overwhelming the drainage system and flooding the cafeteria and offices. In the parking lot at the UH Mānoa Innovation Center, one man returned to find his car had floated away from where he parked it.

The flooding was still happening when the theories started popping on social media.

People said the floods were the result of weather modification, of government cloud-seeding, or that it was a planned effort to flood the island. The proof? "Too weird this weather!"

It was the same pattern that followed the Lahaina fire — directed energy weapons, fires started deliberately. Those Lahaina theories are so prevalent that Gov. Josh Green felt compelled to 

 them. The details of the theories change, but the structure doesn’t.

The people sharing these theories are not, on the whole, foolish. Some are frightened, and frightened people reach for answers. A world where the flood just happened—warm water, a slow storm, too much rain on already wet ground — is more terrifying than a world where someone did this on purpose.

Malice you can fight. You can expose it, resist it, vote it out. A universe that simply doesn’t care about your living room is harder to deal with. The conspiracy theorist and the climate activist have more in common than either would admit. Both need their disaster to have a human author. A human author can, in theory, be stopped.

What belief in the conspiracy requires, though, is a strange kind of faith. The theorist believes that some cabal has the tools to seed clouds over an entire island chain — and the discipline to keep it secret. That is not a description of a government agency. It is a picture of an all-powerful and hidden god. But the theorist doesn’t stop there. He claims something stranger still: that everyone else is fooled, and he alone can see it. The cabal is all-powerful, the masses are blind, and the theorist, scrolling through his feed, is the prophet. It would be easy to laugh at, and it is a little funny. This is what it looks like when the hunger for a sovereign is real but the theology is wrong.

The desire to find a will behind history is not wrong. There is a will behind history, but it is not a cabal. It does not need secrecy because it is not afraid of being stopped. Scripture is plain that God works all things by his will, which includes storms and floods.

The comfort faith offers is of a different kind than the conspiracy offers. It does not tell you who to blame or what petition to sign. It tells you that the suffering is not random. The one who holds the world has not lost control. The God who sent the flood can redeem it. Christians call this providence: God’s hand upholds all things so that without his will not a hair can fall from our head.

Across the Islands this past week, people have been in the streets with shovels and meals and dry clothes. Many of them are from local churches, and most of those churches would rather the help not be traced back to them—they’d prefer the credit go somewhere else. That preference is witness enough. They are not there to be seen. They are there because the God who sent the flood also sent them to love their neighbor. That belief produces a lot of volunteer hours.

Cloud rain conspiracies i Stock 940308630

<title>Who controls the rain?</title>

Conspiracy theories fell like raindrops, even as the Kona Low system pummeled the Islands. ASD columnist Sterling Higa digs into what it means as people search for answers to calamity.

Who controls the rain?

 — which has locations in Wahiawā and Hawai

 goes beyond tacos, burritos and quesadillas. That choice was intentional to make the business stand apart from others, according to Claudia Lazcano Orias, who owns the business with her husband, Jesus Orias.

“My husband is from Mexico City and I’m from South Mexico,” she explains. “We opened here (in Hawaiʻi Kai) in 2024. We have really authentic food from Mexico City; we have dishes that other Mexican restaurants don’t have.

“‘Clau’ is short for Claudia,” she adds, regarding the business’s name. “My husband’s name is Jesus, but ‘Chui’ is short for Jesus in Mexico.”

The business offers street tacos, burritos, tortas, and enchiladas, but prides itself on featuring unique dishes.

Customers can soon get the business’s taco carousel ($45), which includes 10 assorted tacos with a variety of meats. Choose from proteins like carnitas, asada, chorizo, pollo or brisket; customers can mix and match when ordering the carousel. 

Once the taco carousel is on the restaurant’s menu, it will be available daily, not only on Taco Tuesday, according to Lazcano Orias. Since tacos usually cost $4 to $5.50 a la carte, the taco carousel is a good option if you’re dining with friends.

The restaurant will also be adding a taco salad ($21) to its menu. This massive salad is served in a tortilla shell bowl.

“A lot of people in this area like to be fit,” notes Lazcano Orias, of the eatery’s Hawai

i Kai location, which is in the same center as a 24 Hour Fitness. “We are going to try to have taco salad in a bowl very soon (on the menu).”

Lazcano Orias encourages customers to try some of the eatery’s signature dishes, including its pambazo ($18) and torta de chilaquiles ($19).

“Our pambazo is a very popular thing here,” she says. “It’s like a torta. Our torta de chilaquiles is famous, too. It’s like bread with chilaquiles and breaded chicken breast on the inside.”

The pambazo features a filling comprising chorizo with potatoes and is layered with lettuce, sour cream, cheese and salsa. Of the dishes we try, the torta de chilaquiles a favorite. The thin-yet-flavorful chicken Milanesa (chicken Milanese) is sandwiched between a layer of chilaquiles verdes, sour cream and ranchero cheese.

Other popular dishes include birria tacos ($21) and fish tacos ($21). Be sure to check out the eatery’s featured specials; mole enchiladas ($22) were one of the featured dishes during our visit.

Birria tacos are served with cheese, onions and cilantro, and with a side of consommé for dipping.

Meanwhile, the fish tacos feature three pieces of fried fish with cabbage, pico de gallo and chipotle salsa.

End your meal with desserts like cheesecake ($8) or tres leches ($10). For the latter, choose from the classic flavor or a strawberry version.

Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays, open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays

Clau and Chuis Cocina Hawaii Kai owners 031826

<title>New taco carousels in Hawaiʻi Kai</title>

Family-owned and -operated business Clau and Chui’s Cocina specializes in authentic Mexican food. The husband-and-wife team recently added new dishes to the menu, including a taco carousel and taco salad.

New taco carousels in Hawaiʻi Kai

 brought back its popular line-up of lychee smoothies. The limited-time series is available at all 27 Jamba Hawai

The lychee line-up includes drinks like Lychee Dream — a blend of soymilk, white grape peach juice, vanilla frozen yogurt, lychee puree and raspberry sherbet — liliko

i mango lychee (passion mango juice, lychee puree, mango and vanilla frozen yogurt) and lychee lemon. The latter features a refreshing mix of soymilk, lychee puree, lemonade, lime sherbet and vanilla frozen yogurt.

On Tuesday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., customers can enjoy $2 lychee smoothies (16-ounce size only), while supplies last. On Wednesday, April 15, customers can enjoy $1 lychee smoothies (16-ounce size only). Finally, from May 19 to 21, customers can take advantage of a BOGO deal — buy one lychee smoothie and receive one free. The latter promotion is available in-store only.

“Lychee has become one of those flavors that feels like a true taste of home,” states Keli‘i Moreau, director of operations for Jamba Hawai

i. “We’re excited to bring it back ahead of the season and to make Lychee Dream part of our everyday line-up.”

The Lychee Dream is a customer favorite and will be added to Jamba Hawai

i’s permanent menu, while the other two beverages are seasonal offerings.

Jamba Hawaii lychee drinks 031926

<title>Jamba Hawaiʻi is offering $2 lychee smoothies</title>

$2 Lychee Day is coming up on March 24. Customers can enjoy a 16-ounce lychee smoothie for a discounted price from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jamba Hawaiʻi stores, while supplies last.

Jamba Hawaiʻi is offering $2 lychee smoothies

[{"type":"text","text":"There’s a new Vietnamese café in Honolulu."}]

 opened recently in Kapalama Shopping Center. It’s the sister restaurant of Vietnam Deli, but the menu is more limited to banh mi sandwiches, pho and sides like spring and summer rolls.

[{"type":"text","text":"There’s limited dine-in seating available within the café."}]

Banh mi’licious ($15) features a baked baguette filled with creamy pate, mayo, sweet onions, house pickles, cucumbers, jalapenos, black pepper and sauce. Customers can choose from proteins like sun-kissed crackle pork (additional $1), lemongrass chicken (additional $1), beef brisket (additional $1.75), grilled chicken thigh and caramel lemongrass tofu.

While the eatery’s beef pho ($18.50) is a customer favorite, diners can also upgrade to its oxtail pho ($25). The steaming bowls of pho feature a housemade slow-simmered broth, rice noodles, green and sweet onions, cilantro and black pepper.

Other protein options include beef, chicken or veggie; pho dishes come with basil, bean sprouts, jalapenos and lemon on the side.

If you want an appetizer to share, opt for the fresh summer rolls ($12.50) or spring rolls ($11.50). The spring rolls aren’t actually listed on the menu, but you can ask for them.

Summer rolls feature rice paper wrapped with house pickles, basil, lettuce and cucumber; they come with peanut or pineapple fish sauce for dipping. I love the creamy peanut sauce, but the latter comes highly recommended.

Other menu items include stir-fried noodles ($18.50) and rice dishes ($18.50) comprising steamed jasmine rice with sweet peas, lettuce, house pickles, cucumbers, and your choice of protein. 

[{"type":"text","text":"The cafe is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m."}]

Banhmilicious spread 031326

<title>New Vietnamese café open in Honolulu</title>

Banh Mi’licious — inspired by the word “delicious” — recently opened in Kapalama Shopping Center. It’s the sister restaurant of Vietnam Deli, but its menu is focused on pho, banh mi sandwiches and side dishes like spring rolls.

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