Don Ho. Duke. Luna. These are just some of the beloved burgers on the menu at Cool Cat Café. The business, which opened on Front Street in Lahaina in 2003, is known for its classic burgers and shakes, according to general manager Tiffany Quilty.
“Steve and Sean Corpuel, a father and son team, already had one location in San Luis Obispo (California) and, on the recommendation of a friend, came out here to try their luck,” she says. “They gained popularity by serving good food at fair prices, and being active in the local community — cooking burgers at school sporting events and supporting local causes.
“They opened Captain Jack’s Island Grill in 2010,” she adds. “When Sean’s son was headed off to college, they decided to return to California and open our (Cool Cat Café) Pismo Beach location. They are all still operational and family owned.”
After the Lahaina fires in August 2023 — which affected the business’s Lahaina location — many team members expressed interest in wanting to reopen the café, according to Quilty.
“Most have worked here for multiple years and weren’t ready to move on or move off-island,” she says. “The decision to move to Kihei wasn’t one we made on a whim — we looked at all available westside options, but they all needed work, or the rent was too much for us to handle amid starting over. The space in Kihei checked a lot of boxes, and that was where most of our team has relocated.
“We knew that if we were ever to able to secure a space back in Lahaina Town, the two locations wouldn’t even compete with one another,” Quilty adds. “We reopened (in Kihei) in June 2024 — the first to reopen in the long list of destroyed restaurants.”
The business’s Kihei location offers a full bar, indoor and outdoor seating, an old-fashioned soda counter with hand-spun milkshakes, and even an arcade, according to Quilty.
“We tried to make Kihei as close to our original Lahaina space as possible,” she says. “Their menu is huge, with more than 100 menu items, including fresh fish, ribs and steaks, and a kid’s menu.”
Captain Jack’s Island Grill’s reopening followed shortly after the Kihei relocation. After finding a good fit in Kahana in West Maui and renovating the space, the business reopened last January.
Fairly soon after Cool Cat Café started working to get its Kihei location open, the business was approached by Whaler’s Village.
“It was always part of the plan to have a westside presence,” Quilty says. “The more we were hearing about the Front Street rebuild, it was sounding like it was going to be some time. We were only renters, so there was no guarantee we would secure a space. Cool Cat Express (in Whaler’s Village) offered us the chance to be on the westside, but stay flexible to reopening a full-service place if given the opportunity.”
Cool Cat Express opened last June. The fast-casual concept was something new for the business, according to Quilty, who said the biz served up its classic favorites.
“It was something we have never done before, but wanted to try out and see if we could dial it in enough to take other places outside of Maui,” she says. “We are keeping it simple with burger, chicken and vegetarian sandwich options, hand-spun old-fashioned milkshakes and a few other items built for an on-the-go vibe.”
The biz offers classic burgers that are all made with fresh, never-frozen ground beef patties that are “hand pattied daily,” Quilty says. Customer favorites include the Duke ($18) — barbecue sauce, bacon, onion rings and American cheese — and Don Ho ($17), which featured grilled pineapple, bacon, Jack cheese and the business’s housemade hula (mango barbecue) sauce.
The Luna ($19) — lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, Jack cheese, bacon, avocado, mayo and Thousand Island dressing — is another popular option. The biz also serves grilled and fried chicken sandwiches, including the KP crispy ($18) — crispy fried chicken with mayo, Jack cheese, lettuce and tomato — and Lahainaluna ($19), which is like a BLT with avocado and grilled chicken.
“We also serve a locally made vegan taro patty in the ‘Dream Lover,’” Quilty adds.
Besides its burgers and sandwiches, the biz is known for its specialty shakes. The business’s milkshakes are hand-spun using locally made Roselani Ice Cream, according to Quilty. Popular options include the Lahaina Mud Pie — Kona coffee ice cream, Oreo cookies and chocolate syrup — and Cookie Monster, made with vanilla ice cream, Oreo cookies, caramel and peanut butter.
Customers also have the choice to build their own milkshakes or malts by choosing from a variety of ice cream flavors and toppings.
The business is currently open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. for walk-in, delivery and online ordering. Quilty encourages customers to keep an eye out for new dishes and featured specials.
“We are bringing in specials and items from our full-service menu,” she says. “We are serving sweet potato fries and a few of our fan favorite burgers will be making an appearance soon. We also validate parking and offer our signature 20% kamaʻāina discount with a valid State of Hawaiʻi ID.”
CONTACT
Cool Cat Express
Whaler’s Village
2435 Kaanapali Pkwy., Lahaina
coolcatcafe.com/
Instagram: @coolcat_express
Open daily, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
