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ASD Staff

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Takin' care of business..."}]

Smile 26 1 31

<title>Daily Smile: Saturday, January 31, 2026</title>

Takin' care of business...

Daily Smile: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

A statewide initiative that brings local crops into classrooms, culinary schools and communities is growing.

The Hoʻopili ʻAi program connects educators, students and families with nutritious Hawaiʻi-grown foods such as ʻulu (breadfruit), kalo (taro), ʻuala (sweet potato) and more through free educational resources, classroom activities and farm-to-school sampler boxes.

As part of the state Department of Education’s 

, in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Farm to School Network, Chef Hui, the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, and the Hawaiʻi Agriculture Research Center. DOE aims to serve 30% locally sourced food across public schools by 2030, create on-campus gardens and teach students about agriculture/nutrition.

“Hawaiʻi Ulu co-op is an important partner of ours in farm-to-school education, helping our keiki learn to enjoy our Native and canoe crops. And so, by having these boxes that go to the classrooms with different agricultural products, and ʻulu in particular, it helps to forge connection for the kids between what their learning in the classroom and what they are experiencing in the cafeteria,” said DOE School Food Services Branch Administrator Anneliese Tanner, who is among the team developing new menu items at school, including ʻulu-kalo hamburger stew and loco moco with ʻulu gravy.

For Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, the goal is to continue reaching more keiki with nutritious local foods while supporting Hawaiʻi's farmers and strengthening farm-to-school education.

Since 2022, the program has distributed more than 25,600 pounds of local food to a total of more than 115,500 students, resulting in a $278,000 reinvestment back into local ag. During the past school year, approximately 66,025 students took part in the Hoʻopili ʻAi program at 134 schools across Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu, Maui, and Kauaʻi 

— which nearly tripled the number of students served year-over-year, according to 

When asked what was done differently this past school year to scale the program, Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative said one change was incorporating more of its value-added products, like ʻulu pancake mix and ʻulu animal cracker. (ICYMI: ASD toured Diamond Bakery last year to see how these products were made. Read that story 

“In addition to expanding the product options available this year, which made supply more consistently available, the funding we received from Stupski Foundation was much larger than anything we’d received in the past. This was critical in enabling program expansion,” says Dana Shapiro, CEO of Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative.

While educators can technically purchase boxes for their classrooms, they rarely have the resources to do so, she said, adding, “Demand for the program has always outweighed available funding to offer free boxes. All schools in Hawaiʻi are eligible, and when funding allows, we extend the opportunity to other types of educational programs (intersession and summer camps, homeschool groups, etc.).”

The Hoʻopili ʻAi program's free food boxes, complete with educational videos, recipes and classroom resources, are supported through grant funding; however, distribution is currently paused as funding is renewed.

Shapiro told ASD that the last round of funds was depleted at the end of September, so fundraising to continue supporting the free boxes is underway.

 directly through our website in the meantime. Hopefully more funding will be available to meet the overwhelming demand in early 2027.”

Comprised of more than 230 member farms, the co-op aggregates, processes and markets ‘ulu, along with other Hawaiian-grown canoe crops, “to strengthen local food systems and improve community health,” according to its mission.

National Farm to School Month occurs in October, though, programs run throughout the school year. To learn more about Hoʻopili ʻAi, 

Hoopili Ai food to school

<title>Collaborative farm-to-school initiative reaches more classrooms, communities</title>

DOE and community-led farm-to-classroom program, Hoʻopili ʻAi, which teaches kids about local crops, nearly tripled the number students served statewide over the last year. Aloha State Daily asked its facilitators what attributed to the growth and what’s next.

Collaborative farm-to-school initiative reaches more classrooms, communities

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Hawai‘i History

 evaded a U.S. Coast Guard blockade and landed on Kahoʻolawe on Jan. 4, 1976. Those nine individuals, who protested the bombing of the island by the U.S. military, sparked the formation of the 

This year, PKO has been hosting a series of events, including the recent release of the album “50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina,” featuring mele about Kahoʻolawe, in honor of the anniversary and in recommitment to aloha ʻāina, or love and care of the land.

“We started the year off January 1,” said Kaipu Keala, who is a leader and cultural practitioner for PKO. “We had a proclamation press conference on Maui, and the Maui mayor came, and then from that moment we just declared that we're going to do this whole year of aloha ʻāina to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the renaissance of that term, of that model, of that philosophy, of that commitment to recognizing that the land is all we got.”

On Friday, Nov. 13, PKO and Bishop Museum will hold the 

50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina Concert and Celebration: Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa!

, which honors the release of the new album, “50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina” at the Great Lawn. That album — and corresponding concert — feature artists and musicians who created mele inspired by Kahoʻolawe, including Keahi Piʻiʻōhiʻa, Pōkiʻi Seto, Kiliona Young, Kaʻikena Scanlan, 

So far, the support and response to this call for aloha ʻāina has come from across the pae ʻāina and the world, Keala told Aloha State Daily. 

As part of the events, a new treasure case installation about Kahoʻolawe called “Kanaloa ka Laʻa o Kohemālamalama: Unconquerable is the Divinity of Kohemālamalama,” is also on display on the third floor of Hawaiian Hall at Bishop Museum. It was co-curated by PKO and Pūlama Lima, a curator of archaeology, and will remain open until mid-April.

“Before the ʻOhana could even do any of the advocacy work that they did, the kūpuna who were part of the early founding had advised the key leaders that they needed to reconnect with the spiritual sense of Kahoʻolawe, which then needed a ceremony,” Lima told ASD in a Zoom call with Keala. “And so ceremony, as shared by folks like Auntie Davi, happened at every critical part of this movement.”

The installation shows the continuity of ceremony in this place, including contemporary works which reflect PKO’s participation, alongside historical objects collected from the same space by an archeologist in the early 1900s.

also known as Kanaloa and Kohemālamalama

“Kanaloa is the god of the ocean, but the island is also known as a body form of Kanaloa, and it's one of the only islands in all the world that's named after a major god of a religion,” he added. “Because of that, it's always been a place where Hawaiians would do ceremony, where Hawaiians would train to reach the heights of their craft.”

It is especially an important place for navigators and a connection point to Kahiki, the land of the gods and where Hawaiians navigated from, he added.

The upcoming concert will also have a silent auction to generate funds to support PKO, and a booth where people can share their memories of Kahoʻolawe, including how the place has impacted them as individuals or families. There will also be 

, or Native Hawaiian physicians, there to administer health screenings.

“There is an importance in bringing people together after significant milestones, after significant ceremonies to partake in meal and to partake in fellowship,” Lima said.

In the early 80s, Harry Kunihi Mitchell, a founder of PKO, wrote “Mele O Kahoʻolawe” just after his son, Kimo Mitchel, had been lost at sea with George Helm.

“That song became an anthem that really carried the spirit of the movement and carried the spirit of aloha ʻāina and promised that if we do persevere, then we get chance as a people; we get chance for this Island,” Keala said. “And if we can save this Island, we can redeem the soul of the Hawaiian people.”

A similar sentiment was captured in the song, “Hawaiian Soul,” written by Dean John Osorio and Randy Borden after the search was called off for Helm and Mitchell, he added. 

“This album is about redefining what that soul is for the Hawaiian people,” Keala said. “Finding new anthems to carry the next movement, the next 50 years of aloha ʻāina. Because we got to be able to rally together, and part of the way we rally is we sing. … We're just saying this land needs to be loved.”

Find the album, “50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina,” on streaming platforms, such as 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Upcoming events"}]

Paʻa: Kanaloa Kānaka i Kanaloa: Ea aʻe ka ʻOhana

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Hawaiian Hall; Bishop Museum."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Great Lawn; Bishop Museum."}]

 are $10 for ʻōpio and kūpuna and $25 for adults. 

Untitled

<title>Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana celebrates 50 years with album, concert</title>

More than five decades ago, nine people evaded the U.S. Coast Guard to land on Kahoʻolawe and protest the bombing of a sacred space for Native Hawaiians. This year, the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana has been hosting events across the state to reignite the call for aloha ʻāina, or care for the land. In about two weeks, PKO is teaming up with Bishop Museum to celebrate the release of a new album that features mele about this place.

Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana celebrates 50 years with album, concert

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

June Jones was laughed out of the room. Even his most staunch supporters thought he was crazy. 

The year was 1998. The University of Hawai‘i football team had just gone 0-12. Jones, then the interim head coach of the NFL's San Diego Chargers, was offered the permanent role. He declined. 

Instead, he took a $250,000-a-year job to coach the Rainbow Warriors, sacrificing millions to take over a team that lost more than every other Division I football team in the country in 1998. His vision in taking over wasn't just getting the team back to bowl contention — it was about taking the program to new heights. 

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which debuted in 1998, was the new frontier for college football's elite. In his first day on the job, Jones said it was just a matter of time until Hawai‘i would get there. 

"All of us thought this man was a little bit eccentric, a little bit crazy," 

, a former player and coach under Jones at UH, told Aloha State Daily. "The press thought he was crazy. The fans thought he was crazy because you're taking a program that has been in the bottom of college football thinking about BCS games and being great."

In less than a decade, Jones' bold claim became reality. Less than a decade after going 0-12, Hawai‘i went a perfect 12-0 during the 2007 regular season, earning a bid to the Sugar Bowl, one of the five BCS bowl games at the time. Though he departed for SMU following the season, Jones left an indelible mark on the Islands. He remains the winningest head coach in Hawai‘i history at 76-41, as well as one of its most beloved. 

After a battle with Stage 4 cancer, Jones died in hospice care in Oregon on Thursday morning. He was 73. 

"It's really the state of Hawai‘i's loss," Miano said on Thursday. "He's a fighter. For 43 years he's been like a dad and like a mentor and somebody I totally looked up to in so many aspects of life. ... I've never seen anybody as a coach or an administrator make such a positive impact and stimulate this state like he did."

Born and raised in Portland, Ore., Jones began his college football playing career as a quarterback at Oregon from 1971 to 1972. He then transferred to the University of Hawai‘i, suiting up for the Rainbows in 1973 and 1974. 

Though he transferred to Portland State for the 1975 and 1976 seasons, it was there that he was first introduced to the run-and-shoot offense by Mouse Davis — a scheme Jones would eventually revolutionize and make his own, using it to much success across his stops at the college and pro levels. 

The first stop in Jones' coaching career brought him back to UH, where he was the team's quarterbacks coach in 1983. From there, he coached quarterbacks and receivers in the USFL, CFL and NFL. His first offensive coordinator job with an NFL team was with the Atlanta Falcons from 1991 to 1993. He was head coach for the Falcons from 1994 to 1996, going 19-29. After getting hired as quarterbacks coach for the Chargers in 1998, he was named interim coach halfway through the season. Then Hawai‘i came calling. After its winless 1998 season, UH went 9-4 in Jones' first year in Mānoa, finishing with a 9-4 mark that culminated with a 23-17 victory over Oregon State at the 1999 Oʻahu Bowl. 

"In terms of taking a struggling program that was literally the worst in college football, then having the biggest turnaround in NCAA history. There's no other person that could convince the players," said Miano, who was hired by Jones as the secondary coach before the 1999 season. "They're basically the same players. There's no other person that could convince coaches."

Jones' impact spans generations. Five of his former players at Hawai‘i are on the coaching staff for the current team, including head coach 

, who set the NCAA passing yardage record at 17,072 under the tutelage of Jones. 

On Thursday, an emotional Chang was in tears and had to collect himself before answering a question about his former coach and mentor. It was also Jones who gave Chang his start in collegiate coaching at SMU as a graduate assistant in 2012. 

"Playing is one thing, but when you're starting a new life, a new chapter, there's only so many doors that open for you," Chang said on Thursday. "June was that door for me. Not only as a player, but also as a coach, helping me and giving me an opportunity. What I get and love to do now, there's so many things that when I get to look back as a player and as a coach, how great he was, and how much that meant to me, a lot of the decisions I make and a lot of the base principles of who we are foundationally as a team come from there. I got to express that and talk about that with the team today, and that's what he is. He's a foundation builder, and I think that's where I really truly appreciate everything that he has done, not just for me, but for the school, the state, and football."

Hawai‘i associate head coach Chris Brown was the first player to sign under Jones in 1999. When it was his turn to speak about Jones on Thursday, he too wiped a stream of tears away before recalling some of the permanent marks his former coach left on the program. The green "H" and tapa trim logo the entire athletics department uses today was inspired by a rebrand spearheaded by Jones in 2000. So was the concept of all-black uniforms. 

"All the lessons and the stuff that he taught us, all we're trying to do is just replicate it in this day and age," Brown said. "It's not easy. You know where college football is these days, but you can never forget the foundation. You can never forget, the base of everything, and that is Hawai‘i — true Hawaiʻi football. Let's go score some points. Let's go play some some rugged defense. Let's put some excitement and fire in the stands, and when you see that black jersey come running, you know it's something that was started from coach Jones, and you I'm very, very proud that this team is still carrying on that legacy."

Hawai‘i offensive line coach Derek Faavi was the center and bridge between the program's two most prolific quarterbacks of all time in Chang and Colt Brennan. He walked on out of Campbell High School in 2001 and became team MVP as a senior in 2005, thanks in large part to the faith Jones put in him. When Jones was present at a 

live demolition event at Aloha Stadium in April

, Faavi approached his former coach and thanked him for all the memories. 

"I said, 'Coach, all of these memories in Aloha Stadium is because of you,'" Faavi said on Thursday. "When you strip all of those layers back and kind of think about everything that I went through with Hawai‘i football, it's because of him. It's a sad day. Sad day for all of us Warriors, and we love him."

Following his 2008-2014 stint at SMU, Jones briefly moved back to the Islands, where he was the offensive coordinator at Kapolei High School in 2016 and athletic director at Saint Louis in 2017. He returned to coaching as the head coach of the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2017 to 2018, then went 5-0 as the head coach for the XFL's Houston Roughnecks in 2020 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short. 

Jones made one last run at the Hawai‘i job when it opened in 2022, turning down a two-year offer from then-athletics director David Matlin. Despite his displeasure in the amount of years he was offered, he vowed to be a resource for Chang as he adjusted to the gig. 

"He always loved watching University of Hawai‘i football," Chang said. "He loved watching this team play. He was very complimentary. As the season went on this year, he always talked about how hard the boys played, and he said just keep sticking with it, keep staying with it, it'll come, and he was very encouraging  along the whole way that I've been here, and so I love him, and we'll miss him."

June Jones 102926

<title>Hawai‘i football visionary June Jones passes away at 73</title>

The former UH quarterback and head coach left an indelible mark on the program he spurned the NFL for in 1999.

Hawai‘i football visionary June Jones passes away at 73

De Soto 2025

DeSoto Brown

Columnists

From March to July of 1961, Victoria Ward Ltd. — owner of more than 60 acres in Kaka‘ako — announced a new master plan for its property, along with the first substantial structure that was to be part of this redevelopment.

This plan called for the Ward property along Ala Moana Boulevard from Queen Street to Ward Avenue to eventually be the site of six highrise buildings of seven or more stories, various lowrise buildings of up to four stories, and several parking structures of at least two stories to be randomly intermingled. Mauka of this, extending up to Queen Street would be short office buildings facing Ward Avenue and Kamakee Street and light industrial structures and warehouses filling in the rest.

The new IBM Building at 1240 Ala Moana Boulevard would be the first structure of this master plan, which actually was never fully realized. Although it was named for the main commercial tenant which leased it, the building was developed by Victoria Ward in reality. It stood seven stories tall, including the penthouse which served as an employee lounge. In total there were 61,961 square feet of space and the estimated cost would be $1.5 million ($16.5 million in todayʻs dollars). Victoria Ward would occupy half of the sixth floor while IBM took the first two floors; the company then had 90 employees in Hawai‘i but it’s not known how many of these would be moved into this new home. Parking directly around the building would accommodate 70 vehicles but 250 more could be parked in the near vicinity, which at that time included open land along with used car lots.

One unexpected aspect of the IBM Building’s construction was very much a response to the world’s international situation at the time. In 1961 the United States and the USSR were still engaged in what was called the Cold War; a standoff between the two superpowers which were trying to promote their respective economic and political systems in different countries while competing with, and maneuvering against, each other. This competition saw both nations arming themselves with quantities of nuclear missiles aimed at the other, with the worrying threat of a catastrophic atomic war seemingly always possible. As the IBM Building’s construction was in its early stages in October 1961, it was proposed to add an underground nuclear shelter beneath its parking lot with a capacity of 300 people, but this was soon dropped partly because of the abundant ground water not far below the surface which would complicate the project. Ironically, one year after this would come the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the USA discovered that Russian nuclear missiles had been installed in Cuba. This led to a short but extremely intense period in which the United States imposed a military “quarantine” in the ocean around the island to prevent Russian ships from bringing in more armaments, and the potential for atomic war was frighteningly close. But the USSR backed down, war was averted, and the lack of a large shelter under the IBM Building turned out to not be a problem — fortunately.

The lead architect for the IBM Building was Vladimir Ossipoff, who by this time had established himself as probably Hawaii’s leading modern designer. Ossipoff had been born in Russia but then had moved with his family to Japan as a child, where his father was stationed in the Russian embassy. After the Russian monarchy was overthrown in 1917 the family never returned to their homeland and immigrated to the United States in 1923. Vladimir attended high school and college in California and after graduating with an architectural degree in the early 1930s during the Depression, moved to Hawaii where he was able to get a job. His career had grown steadily since then.

Ossipoff equipped the IBM Building with a remarkable exterior composed of concrete elements that he designed, and which were then manufactured locally before being installed. These formed what’s called a “brise soleil,” a French term for a sunshade, which still serve to reduce the glare of direct sunlight through large windows while also cutting cooling costs. Unique to just this single structure, the visually-striking concrete grille was more economical than one fabricated of metal, costing $3.50 per square foot vs $5 for the metal version. Many years later, Ossipoff’s business partner said the design for this exterior covering had been inspired by the appearance of what had been called “punch cards,” which were paper cards then used by IBM computers to carry information. These were well-known for having random patterns of rectangular holes that had been stamped into them.

In 2002, Victoria Ward Ltd, still a family-owned company, sold its Kaka‘ako property for $250 million to General Growth, which was an American real estate investment firm that specialized in owning and operating shopping centers. Its justification for the Kaka‘ako purchase was to possess and run Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre, the two shopping complexes located on this land. Six years later, in 2008, General Growth announced its own master plan for this land which called for the demolition of the IBM Building and pretty much everything else on the former Ward lands beginning in 2010.

Fans of Ossipoff and his work immediately objected, but many others saw its destruction as no big loss. Three people quoted in a 2008 newspaper article expressed indifference or open disapproval: “I don’t happen to think it’s particularly attractive…it’s not the best use for that location. If it’s going to be an office, you could have a newer, better office building on that site,” said Jamie Brown of Hawai‘i Commercial Real Estate. From Gary Gordon, construction superintendent: “It’s period architecture. Unfortunately, its time has come and gone, and it doesn’t blend in.” And from Francis Oda, chairman and CEO of Group 70 International architects: “It’s an interesting building but [Ossipoff did] better than that…[and] you can’t just have a knee-jerk reaction to preserve everything.” Apparently these three thought that nothing different from the multiple reflective glass towers we see in this location today should be present to interrupt the overall uniformity.

General Growth’s plan was never carried out. The company ran into financial problems and some of its assets were required to be spun off, leading to the 2012 switch in the ownership of the former Ward property to the Howard Hughes Corporation. Fortunately, the latter decided that the IBM Building was worthy of preservation and on February 1, 2013 began a $24 million renovation and revamp of it. The remodeled ground floor would house the publicly accessible scale model of the planned redevelopment of this portion of Kaka‘ako; this has been in place since 2014 and is still there today in 2026. The model has, of course, been changed over this 12-year period since the original target of 22 residential towers has been reduced in number.

We can be grateful that short-sighted dislike of “outdated buildings” which can lead to the loss of structures that could never be replicated today, due to costs or the lack of workmanship expertise to do the work, did not claim the IBM Building more than 15 years ago. It will continue to stand as a physical artifact of what Kaka‘ako once was.

1 IBM 67 16x9

<title>Changing Kaka‘ako: The IBM Building</title>

At one time, the plan for the IBM Building included a basement bomb shelter in case of nuclear war. Later, the building faced destruction from a more ordinary source — changing ownership and redevelopment plans. Fortunately, writes ASD history columnist DeSoto Brown, it has been preserved, even as the neighborhood around it changes drastically.

Changing Kaka‘ako: The IBM Building

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 didn’t start solely based on a love of sourdough. It began as a homeschool project, according to owner Michelle Ellis — one that she started with her daughters.

“As a homeschooling mom, I wanted to give my girls a hands-on way to learn about creativity, responsibility, customer service, money and building something from the ground up,” she says. “What started with fresh sourdough has grown into a little community stand where we get to meet neighbors, share homemade food, and create something special together.”

Hula Girls Sourdough Stand officially opened this past summer, and it's usually open at 10 a.m. on the first Sunday each month.

“The name ‘Hula Girls’ comes from our location on Hula Hula Place in Hauʻula,” Ellis says. “It also feels especially fitting because the business is inspired by and built alongside my three daughters, and we support other women-owned businesses in the community.”

The biz offers sweet and savory sourdough loaves — its Hawaiian sea salt loaf ($18) and cinnamon swell loave ($20) are crowd favorites — along with mini banana breeze breads ($10), sea salt sourdough cookies ($4 each or three for $10), and iced coffees ($6).

[{"type":"text","text":"Ellis has been making sourdough for the past two-and-a-half years."}]

“I’ve always loved it (baking) — sourdough especially,” she says. “When we moved here, I realized a lot of people here had never tried fresh sourdough because it’s so hard to make in this climate and humidity. The stand really took off because people loved having fresh bread.”

The cinnamon swell loaf is made with organic sugar, cinnamon and organic grass-fed butter. Ellis notes that the traditional Hawaiian sea salt loaf is a crowd favorite “since it goes with just about everything.”

The cookies are known for their chewy texture and are finished with sea salt to achieve a salty-sweet flavor, according to Ellis.

The business’s iced coffee features flavored ice; customers can choose from vanilla, caramel, mocha and macadamia nut. 

“We also love creating limited seasonal specials, including maple-glazed pumpkin spice sourdough and s’mores sourdough cookies,” Ellis says. “Hula Girls Sourdough Stand is more than a bread stand — we are rooted in community, learning and connection. We make everything in small batches and put a lot of care into each menu item, from the ingredients to the presentation.”

While the stand is usually open on the first Sunday of each month, because of Halloween, the stand will be open on Nov. 8 (instead of Nov. 1) from 10 a.m. until sold out.

“Everything is made in small batches,” Ellis says. “Between Halloween and the kids, I couldn’t get everything prepped the way I wanted.”

She notes that there’s been a lot of recent interest in the sourdough stand, and customers can direct message the business on Instagram to pre-order.

“We are so grateful for everyone who has stopped by, shared our posts, placed an order, or simply cheered us on,” she adds. “Building this with my daughters has been such a special experience, and we hope people feel that joy when they visit our stand. Our goal is simple — good bread, good vibes, and a little community connection in Hau

ula. We love creating a welcoming space with good bread, cold drinks, sweet treats and a little island joy.”

Hula Girls Sourdough owner 102226

<title>Hula Girls Sourdough Stand is open monthly in Hauʻula</title>

The stand — which specializes in sourdough and desserts — is usually open on the first Sunday of the month in Hauʻula. Customers can look forward to fresh sourdough loaves, cookies, mini banana breads and iced coffees, according to business owner Michelle Ellis, who explains that the stand began as a summer homeschool project with her daughters, and quickly turned into something more.

Hula Girls Sourdough Stand is open monthly in Hauʻula

Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday, Nov. 26. Whether you’re dining out or looking for an at-home feast, check out the following options:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"100 Sails Restaurant & Bar"}]

: The Thanksgiving dinner buffet costs $109 per adult ($54.50 per child ages 6 to 10 years old). Highlights include kiawe-smoked prime rib that’s carved to order, kiawe smoked brisket, ‘ahi poke, assorted sashimi, snow crab legs, salt and pepper shrimp, caramelized mushroom linguini, roasted turkey leg and turkey breast, holiday stuffing, temaki sushi, Prince bread pudding, pumpkin crunch haupia crunch pie and more.

The brunch buffet costs $111 per adult ($55.50 per child ages 6 to 10 years old). It includes many of the featured dinner buffet offerings — including kiawe-smoked prime rib, kiawe smoked brisket, roasted turkey leg and turkey breast — but also includes breakfast offerings like Prince fried rice, a waffle station and an omelet station.

: Dinner buffet 5 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 26-29; brunch buffet 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 26

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"53 By the Sea"}]

: 53 By the Sea’s Thanksgiving take home packages are available for pre-order online and via phone.

The standard Thanksgiving dinner set ($250) is designed to feed four people and includes:

The deluxe Thanksgiving dinner set ($750) is designed to feed eight people and includes:

: In-person pick-ups from 8 a.m. to noon on Nov. 26

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"C4 Table by Colin Hazama"}]

: fishcake Honolulu, 307C Kamani St., Honolulu 

: C4 Table’s Thanksgiving holiday menu ($370) is designed to serve four to six people. It includes:

: Pick-up from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25 at fishcake Honolulu 

: Email pre-order with name (first and last), telephone contact number, number of meals/additional sides, and preferred pick-up time slot to 

: Chart House Waikīkī’s traditional turkey dinner ($65) includes butter and sage roasted turkey, savory cornbread stuffing, mashed or baked sweet potato with rum butter, pan gravy, creamed spinach and cranberry relish. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hy’s Steak House"}]

: This Thanksgiving ‘ohana feast to-go ($585) is designed to serve eight to 10 people. It includes:

: This special Thanksgiving dinner ($40) includes butter herb roasted turkey, homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, green bean casserole, candied yams with toasted marshmallow, grilled corn on the cob and a dinner roll. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Merriman’s Honolulu"}]

: This Thanksgiving prix fixe menu costs $140 per person ($45 for children ages 12 years and younger). It includes:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"MW Restaurant"}]

: This Thanksgiving family feast ($725) is designed to feed six to eight people. It includes:

Pre-orders must be placed by Tuesday, Nov. 24.

: Pick-up from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 26

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Plumeria Beach House"}]

: The all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving buffets will include a carving station, chef specialties and a variety of desserts. They cost $145 per adult ($55 per child ages 6 to 12 years). 

: Nov. 26, brunch buffet 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; dinner buffet 3 to 8 p.m. 

: This Thanksgiving package ($285.95) is designed to feed four to six people. It includes sliced roast turkey, turkey gravy, housemade stuffing, pineapple-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes, spicy ‘ahi on sushi rice, fresh cranberry sauce, and pumpkin crunch squares.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Buffet at Hyatt"}]

: Hyatt Regency Waikīkī Beach Resort & Spa, 

: This Island-inspired Thanksgiving buffet costs $110 per person (50% off for children ages 6 to 12 years, $5.99 for children ages 5 years and under).

[{"type":"text","text":"Buffet highlights include:"}]

discount is not valid for holiday menus. 

The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waik

: This Thanksgiving takeout feast ($595) is designed to serve eight to 10 people.

: Pick-up from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 26.

Upon arrival, guests should pull into The Royal Hawaiian porte cochere (valet) and check in with the team; staff members will bring your Thanksgiving feast directly to you. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Umi by Vikram Garg"}]

: Halepuna Waikīkī by Halekūlani, 2233 Helumoa Road, Honolulu 

: This special Thanksgiving dinner features a three-course ($110 per person) or four-course ($150 per person) menu.

The three-course menu features a soup or pasta (premium upgrade optional), main course and dessert; an optional wine pairing ($50) is available. The four-course menu includes an appetizer (premium upgrade available), soup or pasta (premium upgrade available), main course and dessert; an optional wine pairing ($70) is available.

[{"type":"text","text":"Featured dishes include:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Zippy’s Restaurants"}]

: Zippy’s is offering a variety of Thanksgiving packages to choose from:

[{"type":"text","text":"Whole turkey package, $214.95; serves eight to 10 people"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Half turkey package, $124.95; serves four people"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Whole turkey only, $95.95; serves eight to 10 people"}]

: Pick-up Wednesday Nov. 25 or Thursday, Nov. 26

Daily Smile: Saturday, January 31, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

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Daily Smile: Friday, Oct. 30, 2026

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