Matsumoto Shave Ice is celebrating its 75th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 21, at its Haleʻiwa store. The event — which is free to the public — is the business’s way to say “thank you” to the community, according to general manager Remy Matsumoto.
“We’re super grateful to be able to do business for seven decades,” she says. “Really, it’s thanks to the locals who helped us with word of mouth from the beginning, who helped promote it. That’s why I think we’ve been here for this long. Hopefully, we can be in business for another 25 years and make it to 100 years. That’s our goal.”
The iconic North Shore shave ice spot originally started as a grocery store founded by Mamoru Matsumoto and Helen Momoyo (Ogi) Matsumoto in 1951, according to Matsumoto.
“They started it as a way to support their family,” she says. “We started out as a grocery store, and five years later, we started to sell shave ice.
“The sign outside — you’ll be able to see that it still says ‘M. Matsumoto Grocery Store,’” she adds. “The official anniversary date is Feb. 13.”
To celebrate its milestone birthday, Matsumoto Shave Ice is offering a variety of anniversary specials. Customers can get small shave ice desserts with no toppings for $1 (regular price $3.75) on Saturday only. The most popular flavors are the tropical ones, including lilikoʻi, guava and mango, according to Matsumoto, who says that whoever buys a shave ice will be given a scratch card for a chance to win more prizes.
“You’ll have the chance to win Matsumoto gift cards,” she says. “We’re giving away snacks from some of our local vendors, while supplies last.”
Saturday’s event will also include a taiko drum performance, Lunar New Year lion dance and other live entertainment.
The business’s “Ichiban special” ($7.25) will also be featured as an anniversary special, according to Matsumoto. The dessert usually comprises one shave ice flavor of your choice, topped with ice cream, azuki beans, mochi and condensed milk, and is served in an edible waffle tray. However, for the anniversary celebration only, customers will be able to get this dessert in a rainbow flavor.
The business will also be offering its special anniversary T-shirt at a discounted rate ($10 instead of $24). Having a Matsumoto Shave Ice logo T-shirt featured in “50 First Dates” was one of the many highlights for the business over the years, according to Matsumoto.
“That was something really huge for us — getting our name out there,” she says. “Even just starting to sell T-shirts; that started in the ’70s. We started selling our T-shirts because people wanted to wear our workers’ uniform.”
Beyond Saturday’s festivities, Matsumoto encourages attendees to stay tuned for further news from the business throughout the year.
“We’re planning to celebrate for the entire year, so we’ll also have other collaborations coming out,” Matsumoto says.
CONTACT
Matsumoto Shave Ice
66-111 Kamehameha Hwy. No. 605, Haleʻiwa
808-637-4827
matsumotoshaveice.com
Instagram: @matsumotoshaveice
Anniversary celebration is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 21
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
