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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Baby cow making friends with a baby donkey..."}]

Smile 26 4 2

<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, April 2, 2026</title>

Baby cow making friends with a baby donkey...

Daily Smile: Thursday, April 2, 2026

 Baby cow making friends with a baby donkey...

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, located at Kapiʻolani Boulevard and Kalākaua Avenue on Oʻahu, opens April 2. 

This location is unique in that there is no drive-thru and is a dine-in location only. The restaurant can seat about 260 individuals, and Kurt Milne, owner/operator of Chick-fil-A Kapiʻolani & Kalākaua, is excited for customers to see the new space.

“I’m excited to invite people back in,” he says. “As you know, we have a drive-thru on Beretania Street; there’s a Chick-fil-A in Ala Moana Center. This will be the very first dining room in the greater Honolulu area.”

Milne is also the current owner-operator of Chick-fil-A Ala Moana Center. He says his experience at that store helped him to prepare for the Kapiʻolani & Kalākaua store’s opening.

“We were the first to open on Oʻahu in October 2022,” he says. “It wasn’t until eight months later that the Makiki store opened. We’re used to busy crowds; we’ve gotten good at our speed of service, making sure that people get in line fast and get out of line fast. We’re going to do the same here, but we can add a little extra touch, now that there’s a dining room, and provide some good service.”

Customers can stand in line to order; can order via the Chick-fil-A mobile app; or they can scan the QR code located on their table to order. Their orders will be brought to their tables when this “mobile dine-in” experience is used, according to Milne.

“We encourage guests to download the Chick-fil-A app; they can place their orders ahead of time,” Milne says. “Local owners and operators send out free items via the app often; usually once a week, I’ll send out a free item. So, if you have the app, you’re going to get a free item, earn points and you can order ahead.”

Free items can range from a free lemonade to a free sandwich or kid’s meal, according to Milne.

The designated event space — which can seat around 60 people — can be used for birthdays, business meetings and celebrations. It features a flexible layout, audio and visual equipment, and free wi-fi. Customers interested in reserving this space can call 808-909-3908 or ask a team member about it; there’s also a QR code they can scan for more information inside the restaurant.

The Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is the most popular item, but other customer favorites include waffle potato fries and the spicy chicken sandwich.

Customers can enter the restaurant’s parking lot from Kalākaua Avenue or Kapiʻolani Boulevard, but we’re told Kapiʻolani Boulevard is the preferred route.

There is also a designated area in the restaurant for delivery drivers to pick up their orders.

Open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays; closed on Sundays

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Chick fil A owner 040126

<title>Inside look at the largest Chick-fil-A in Hawai‘i</title>

The restaurant — located at Kapiʻolani Boulevard and Kalākaua Avenue — opens on April 2, with set hours from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays. Aloha State Daily got a preview of the new space at a media event, where we spoke with owner/operator Kurt Milne.

Inside look at the largest Chick-fil-A in Hawai‘i

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Business & Tourism

 is one shop in Haleʻiwa impacted by slower traffic as a result of 

 last month, said Chris Chang, its owner.

The eatery, which serves up poke and sushi bowls, and salads, cut its hours by 50% on Monday, March 30. It reduced its normal 10-hour day, which is usually 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., to five hours. Now, the eatery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

“We did a 50% reduction, just to target our main lunch hour,” he said. “Really, it's about trying to keep staff on the schedule because everyone has bills to pay.”

As people filed in for lunch, Chang remarked it was the most customers he had seen in a while.

In the immediate days after the floods, the business gave out free breakfast bentos and musubi, as well as poke bowls, roast pork with gravy, chicken katsu and other meals to families impacted by the devastation and volunteers helping to rebuild.  

Chang hopes hotel staff can share that the North Shore, except for 

, is open. Chang used to be a teacher and noted that spring break for Los Angeles Unified School District, the 

“Most of the local plus tourist economies / businesses really rely on these breaks,” he said. “Because spring break is the time you can kind of catch up from those slow periods.”

 have led to less tourists going to the beach, although cleanups are helping, he said. Those advisories have also impacted surf schools and led to cancelations of shark boat tours. As of Tuesday, March 31, 

, which is less than a mile away from the poke shop. They were also in place at other spots across Oʻahu. A little more than a week ago, the 

entire island was under a brown water advisory

“Just getting the word out there: still don't go to Waialua,” he said. “There's cleanup efforts happening there. But the rest of the North Shore or anywhere else on the island — it's open. I am just speculating, but there's a lot of people in town ... I think they are kind of staying in Waikīkī. They are not venturing out.”

Chang hopes people will head to the North Shore and support local businesses.

“Everyone's doing what they can, but everyone is still hurting,” he said. “Just supporting local. It's easy to say, hard to do sometimes, because local is not always cheap. I get it. We do what we can to keep our prices down and affordable.”

For Mainland tourists deciding whether to visit, Chang says come.

“Sun's out, beaches are getting clean,” he said. “Still come. Minor adjustments, but still a great place to visit.”

Follow Poke for the People for updates via 

Poke for the People

<title>Kona low storms slow business on North Shore</title>

Poke for the People has been giving away meals to community members impacted by the floods as well as the volunteers helping them rebuild. But this week, the eatery cut its hours in half due to a decrease in sales. In Haleʻiwa, spring break for Mainland schools doesn’t look quite the same as it has in prior years, according to the shop's owner.

Kona low storms slow business on North Shore

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Arts & Entertainment

North Shore resident Kim Johnson, wife of musician Jack Johnson, recalled looking at the list on GoFundMe 

of Hawaiʻi families in need after the floods 

and recognizing some of their faces from her own community.  

“Jack and I, we're making a large donation [to GoFundMe] and to several individual GoFundMe fundraisers, as well as different groups that are contributing,” she told Aloha State Daily. “Anyone could plug in, even $20 goes a long way.”

The Johnsons recently announced a commitment of $500,000 for flood recovery and rebuilding efforts through their 

 was also created "to provide immediate assistance to verified families and community members working to rebuild," the announcement notes.

“The North Shore is my hometown, and this flooding is affecting our community in a very real way,” said Jack Johnson in a statement. “Many of our friends, neighbors, and local farmers were hit hard. Recovery will take time, and we hope this pledge encourages others to come together to support the people who need it most.”

, though, public sales for the May premiere at Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall were postponed due to the storm, according to Kim Johnson. The tour includes a new documentary, music and more.

She told ASD that their home and vehicles were affected by the back-to-back storms last month, but not to the same degree of devastation as others in the area.

“We know firsthand how much work it is to clean up,” she said, adding that their Kōkua Learning Farm in Haleʻiwa had no equipment or structural damage. It did, however, lose crops.

“The farm is doing well despite some flooding,” she noted. “For immediate food relief, we donated produce and protein from the farm stand to 

, and they're using that to cook and give out to families and volunteers. 

, also run by the couple, will host Farm Fun(d) Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 3, at Kōkua Learning Farm, 66-249 Kamehameha Highway.

The fundraising event is free to attend and includes community connection, arts and crafts activities, food, music and more. Donations are welcome and will benefit the 

“Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Foundation is planning workdays on farms and mobilizing large groups to help clean up, recover lost equipment, things like that,” Kim Johnson said. “We’re excited to raise money for farmers and will also be collecting non-perishable food items to donate to 

When asked about how to get involved, she added: “Give time. Give supplies. Give money. Give aloha.

“It’s been amazing to see this community come together. … We should be asking everybody how they are doing, giving them space to share in a real way and making sure we’re all taking care of each other,” she continued. “There’s a call out now for skilled tradesmen: contractors, plumbers, electricians, etc. If you have a skill you can share, reach out directly to organizations filling those needs.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"How can I support?"}]

The following organizations are assisting affected communities:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Looking for support?"}]

Families who have been impacted can create a GoFundMe fundraiser to receive direct assistance. Instructions available 

 2-1-1: Call 211 for updates on emergency shelters, food distribution centers, and other non-emergency needs.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list. If we missed something that matters to you, please email us.

Kokua Learning Farm Fun Day North Shore 20241116

<title>Johnson ‘Ohana Foundation, Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation donate to flood recovery</title>

Musician Jack Johnson and wife Kim Johnson, who reside on Oʻahu’s North Shore, have teamed up with GoFundMe to give directly to ʻohana impacted by the recent Kona Low storms. The pair is pledging $500,000 in total, some of which is being dispersed to local nonprofits, and plan to host a fundraiser this Friday at the Kōkua Learning Farm in Haleʻiwa.

Johnson ‘Ohana Foundation, Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation donate to flood recovery

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

The damage to Hawai’i farmers caused by March’s Kona low storms could be nearly $70 million and counting.

 Wednesday to discuss the agricultural impacts of the March storms throughout the state. As of Tuesday, more than 380 farmers had reported via a Hawai’i Farmers Union survey a cumulative total of $23 million in storm damage so far, said Amanda Shaw, director of food services for the O’ahu Resource Conservation and Development Council.

But, Shaw added, those reported damages are only a fraction of the true damage to Hawai’i agriculture. 

“Storms don’t just damage crops in the ground right now,” Shaw said. “They damage infrastructure, soil, equipment and the people farming.”

Brian Miyamoto, executive director of the Hawai’i Farm Bureau, said farms mere days away from harvest have seen their entire crops wiped out, losing vast amounts of up-front investment in land, water, seeds, fuel and labor.

Based on potential damage to lost crops and lost future productivity, Shaw said the current estimated total damage could be multiplied two- or even threefold, up to $69 million. Of course, she went on, that number is likely higher still, as more farmers will likely continue to report additional damage as time goes on.

According to the Hawai’i Farmers Union survey, the greatest damage reported so far has been on O’ahu, where 150 farmers have reported more than $13 million in damage. 

However, Hunter Heavilin, advocacy director for the Hawai’i Farmers Union, said the vast majority of farmers do not have insurance to cover crop loss: only 4% of farmers on O’ahu are insured, he said. And while 15% of farmers on Hawai’i Island carry insurance, most of those cases are large-scale coffee and Macadamia nut operations, while smaller-scale farmers lack coverage.

Heavilin said agriculture in Hawai’i was already in a rocky place before the storms: between 2017 and 2022, the state has lost more than 700 farms, while the suicide rate for farmers and fishers is three times higher than that of the general population, he said.

Still further, Suzanne Shriner, executive director of the Synergistic Hawai’i Agriculture Council, said flooding has washed away fertile topsoil, leached away nutrients from the ground and helped to spread invasive pests. She said her council has applied for a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to help determine the extent of soil damage and pest spread.

Miyamoto said the clearest path toward recovery hinges on President Donald Trump making a disaster declaration regarding the storms, which would make the state eligible for a wide range of federal disaster relief funds. 

While Gov. Josh Green has submitted a request for such a declaration, it has not yet been made. 

“Without that declaration, programs must be accessed individually, agency-by-agency, which slows down delivery of assistance,” Miyamoto said. “It can happen … but many of these programs are limited in scope, take time to access or require producer to already be enrolled.”

In the meantime, Dean Matsukawa, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity said current borrowers enrolled in the department’s agricultural loan program will be offered payment waivers for short-term payment relief. The department is also offering emergency loans of up to $100,000 at a 3% interest rate, with applications open until the end of September.

Heavilin also mentioned a series of still-alive bills in the state Legislature that could feasibly offer support for farmers. These include:

, which would establish a program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity whereby eligible farmers could have up to 50% of their annual costs to transport crops and livestock reimbursed. The Senate Ways and Means Committee briefly discussed the bill Wednesday, but deferred any decision on it until next Monday.

, which requires DAB to conduct a study on insurance coverage and availability for small agricultural producers. The bill has been referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, but no hearing date has been scheduled.

, which would fund a “conservation agriculture and soil health incentive program” which would help small farms improve soil health, reduce erosion and nutrient runoff, and more. The bill passed second reading at the House on Monday, but still must pass a yet-unscheduled hearing of the House Finance Committee.

, which would establish a Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Program within DAB, whereby farmers could apply for funding toward purchasing new equipment, hiring and training new personnel and more. The bill has been referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, but no hearing date has been scheduled.

Farms flooded

<title>Farm damage nears $70 million following Kona lows</title>

The damage toll from March's storms continues to rise as lawmakers ponder solutions.

Farm damage nears $70 million following Kona lows

You can take advantage of this buy-one-get-one-free ramen deal on Saturday, April 4.

 is offering a buy-one-get-one-free ramen deal on April 4 at its Kaimukī and Hawai

With any ramen purchase, customers can get a second bowl of ramen for free. This offer is valid for dine-in only.

[{"type":"text","text":"Ramen bowls at the eatery usually cost $13 to $18."}]

Popular options include the miso pesto ($15) — comprising miso broth, basil pesto, green onions, chashu, aji tamago, menma, nori, Parmesan, crushed chili, sesame and negi oil — and black garlic tonkotsu ($17). The latter is rich and savory, featuring a pork bone broth, green onions, chashu, aji tamago, menma, garlic chips, nori, sesame and black garlic oil.

You can also try more unique options like the eatery’s spicy Thai curry ramen, which features a spicy yellow coconut curry broth, green onions, chashu, aji tamago, menma, cilantro, nori and chili strands.

Customers are still encouraged to try the eatery’s signature appetizers, even though they’re not part of the BOGO deal. Popular dishes include garlic chili gyoza ($7), dynamite shrimp tempura ($7) and chicken karaage ($7).

Noods Ramen Bar’s Kaimukī location is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and from 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner. Its Hawai

i Kai store is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Open daily, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 to 9 p.m.

Noods Ramen Bar miso pesto 033126

<title>Noods Ramen Bar is offering a BOGO ramen deal</title>

The eatery’s Kaimukī and Hawaiʻi Kai stores are offering a buy-one-get-one-free ramen deal this Saturday, April 4, in honor of National Ramen Day. The BOGO offer is valid for dine-in only.

Noods Ramen Bar is offering a BOGO ramen deal

At the Otake Store, it was dark yesterday morning. There still was no power.

And Wendell Toki, who lost almost everything in the recent Kona Low storms, was keeping track of one generator, which was being loaned out to run electric power tools that are helping families rebuild.

By about 12:30 p.m., the lights were finally back on in the store and a few residences, he told Aloha State Daily by phone Tuesday.

His house, which is part of Otake Camp, located off Farrington Highway in Waialua, is now in demolition condition. He also lost mamaki and plants he uses for food and medicine, plus 180 chickens in the flood.  

On Monday, March 30, the sun was shining. Birds were chirping. Toki was standing in dried mud explaining how a green house slid parallel to the Kaukonahua Stream, past other residences and straight into homes that now sit vacant.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A muddy puzzle"}]

There are plans to rebuild, but the houses sit abandoned. Doors open. Inside, the floors hold mud thick with things: plastic bottles, a shoe here, a puzzle there.

The mud surrounds a chair in the middle of one of the rooms. It preserves handprints on the walls.

The community needs generators, lumber and food for workers, Toki said. He pauses at the front of the door of the house closest to the stream. Parts of the wall are missing, creating windows to the brown water below.

A nearby house has a desk covered in mud. It holds bright crayons, markers and paper flowers, and something there is not much of: color.

In the house next door, there bright puzzles on the wall. One — a pink and yellow jaguar — is peeling. Where the water was, the design is gone and only cardboard remains.

[{"type":"text","text":"Many, including Toki, don’t have flood insurance."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A birthday to forget"}]

Down the road, the military is helping farmers like Thy Cavan, who had about two acres of green papayas and bananas, and lost nearly everything in the flood.

Cavan remembers the day the storm hit because it was his birthday: Friday, March 20. The day he lost two cars, his home and the entire papaya crop.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Lost almost everything,” he said. “Some bananas survived.”"}]

National Guard were deployed alongside the Navy

 to remove flood debris from Waialua. They helped Cavan shovel mud out of his house.

He stands next to a mud-covered blue tractor. It was a total loss. So was his generator. And his cell phone.

With a cigarette in hand, he pointed to a spot on a wood beam, which supports the roof over his tractor, to share how high the water got.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“About right here,” he said."}]

The line is above the steering wheel. It is higher than his shoulders.

It is also visible on the side of the house, where muddy water got nearly to the roof. When it receded, it left tracks on the top of the tractor, like a dried up mud flat.

Cavan realized he could not stay and went to the main road, where a rescue group picked him up. Now, he is staying with friends, and gets to his farm by walking or getting dropped off.

Without a car, he can’t travel easily. Two days ago, he started a 

. His top priorities are fixing the tractor and getting back wheels.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A new start "}]

Back up the road, near the Otake Store, Toki points to the space upstairs where he will live while he puts together a new life. Toki also has a 

, which was set up by Nicole Correa, his hānai niece.

 and is imagining a shipping container as a home, with a deck built by a neighbor.

“I'm hardly home anyway,” he said. “Only sleep there, and then the rest of the days I'm working.”

Outside, the birds are still chirping. The sun beats down and Toki is reflecting on how to help farmers.

“They need local support,” he said. “More local support.”

Otake Camp

<title>What’s next for Otake Camp?</title>

Some residents of Otake Camp are still in the dark. Farmers lost crops. Families lost homes. And everywhere, the mud prevails. They are seeking generators, lumber and funds to restart.

Daily Smile: Thursday, April 2, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Thursday, April 2, 2026

Authors

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