The transportation company Roberts Hawaiʻi will open Limelight Hawaiʻi, a new entertainment venue focused on the kamaʻāina market next month, Roy E. Pfund, the company’s president and CEO, told Aloha State Daily. The venue, which was once Hawaiian Hut, is located on the grounds of the Ala Moana Hotel and will soft open on March 20.
Originally, Roberts Hawai’i purchased the venue as a place for its long-running show, Magic of Polynesia, which had been at the Waikīkī Beachcomber by Outrigger hotel. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, that show closed, and Roberts Hawaiʻi decided to reimagine the space as one that could serve kama’āina.
Limelight Hawaiʻi is a 6,000-square foot space designed to accommodate weddings, corporate events, fashion shows, and high-level night club entertainment. It can fit up to 700 guests with a stage and 400 guests with table service. The space can accommodate just under 900 with no furniture, he said. The total investment — including buying the space — was about $15 million, Pfund said.
“We're really focusing on the kamaʻāina market,” he said. “And from the history part of how Covid impacted our company — everything got shut down on the tourism side, and it took a while to build back — I think that was one of the main reasons why we looked at shifting to diversify our base, seeking a greater portion of our business outside the direct tourism industry.”
Roy Pfund, president and CEO of Roberts Hawaiʻi; Jim Gillespie, executive chef for Limelight Hawaiʻi; and Jeff Marcello, general manager for Limelight Hawaiʻi. (Limelight Hawaiʻi) 
Limelight Hawaiʻi is a flexible entertainment space that can seat up to 400 guests with table service. (Limelight Hawaiʻi) 
Limelight Hawaiʻi offers an audio and sound system for use at events. (Limelight Hawaiʻi) 
Limelight Hawaiʻi is designed to host events such as weddings or a Mother's Day brunch. (Limelight Hawaiʻi)
Roberts Hawaiʻi offers transportation packages to popular tourism attractions on Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi, including natural sites, such as Hanauma Bay, and events, such as Germaine’s Lūʻau and Chief’s Lūʻau in Kapolei. The company also operates private school bus services.
Roberts Hawaiʻi is still in the “hiring mode” for this venue, Pfund added. Eventually, he expects between 50 and 60 employees will be working at this space.
“One of the good things is we do have a large employee base because we're an employee-owned company, an ESOP [employee stock ownership plan] company,” he said. “Hopefully, we can draw on some of the existing employee base, as well, to fill in. Because you have events when you may need a lot of people, and then other days, you're going to need less people, so I think that does help provide some staffing flexibility for us.”
Limelight Hawaiʻi has a 4K LED screen, lights and a sound system. Kalani Rodrigues of OnStage Hawaiʻi, was a consultant for lighting, he added. For audio, they brought in a person who handles sound for national touring acts.
The space can be used for parties and meetings during the day and pau hana with live entertainment in the evenings, Pfund said. On the weekends, especially Fridays and Saturdays, Roberts Hawaiʻi may also bring back some kind of nightclub entertainment, he added. There will also be brunches for special holidays, such as Mother’s Day.
The executive chef for Limelight Hawaiʻi is Jim Gillespie. He brings more than 30 years of experience across Hawaiʻi’s hospitality industry, including executive leadership roles at 3660 on the Rise, Plaza Club, and Sunset Bar & Grill. Jeff Marcello has been named the venue’s general manager.
“Limelight Hawaiʻi brings together the highest-quality audio and production technology available in a venue of this kind in Hawaii,” said Marcello, in a written statement. “But technology is only part of the story. We set out to create a truly versatile space where live music, conferences, weddings and corporate events are not only supported — but elevated. That same philosophy carries through our menus, which fuse island-inspired flavors with modern favorites, thoughtfully extended into our culinary offerings, craft cocktails, and beverage program. The result is a gathering place designed to flex with the needs of our community, giving both locals and visitors a reason to think of Limelight first for their next celebration.”
The venue has already broadcast its first Super Bowl for an internal audience, and the halftime show; with the volume turned up, it sounded like a concert, Pfund said.
“We did our own Super Bowl preview,” Pfund said. “It works great, showing the Super Bowl on that big screen — that type of thing is what we really are looking at doing. Providing really the opportunity for more kamaʻāina events. So, our focus really is on the local market, as opposed to creating a showroom for some kind of tourist show or that type of thing.”
To learn more, go to limelighthawaii.com.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
