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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Judy Peckenpaugh on Kauaʻi. "The calm AFTER the storm."

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<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: After the storm</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Judy Peckenpaugh on Kauaʻi.

Hawaiʻi Skies: After the storm

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Judy Peckenpaugh on Kauaʻi. &quot;The calm AFTER the storm.&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

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

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

 just opened its second store. The business — whose original location is in Ward Village — opened on Kūhiō Avenue, in the former space of Ice Monster.

The eatery is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s bigger than the Ward Village space — it can seat around 70 customers — with an expansive counter, booth and outdoor seating available. Counter seating is first-come, first-served; reservations will be accepted for tables via OpenTable.

The menu at the Waikīkī store is mostly the same as the one featured at Ward Village. For breakfast, customers can enjoy dishes like broiled shio salmon, salmon flakes and ikura set, udon deluxe and the gyudon beef bowl set. The latter is one of the most popular options at the Ward Village location.

Customers who want a grab-and-go breakfast can choose from an assortment of onigiri. Options include salmon ikura ($3.59), salmon kombu ($3.59), crunchy ume ($3.59), shiso wakame ($3.39), salmon ($3.39), spicy negi mentaiko ($3.89) and more. We’re told more gourmet flavors will be added to current selection. Grab-and-go bentos and negitoro bowls will eventually be available.

If you’re dining for lunch and dinner, appetizers range from seared ‘ahi tataki ($16) and hamachi carpaccio ($12) to yakitori chicken skewers. For the latter, you can order by piece ($3.50) or choose sets of three ($10) or five ($15).

The hand roll selection is extensive, including everything from Hokkaido scallop with spicy mayo ($7) and New Zealand king salmon ($7) to blue crab ($7), unagi ($8) and Hokkaido ikura ($6.50). There are also vegan-friendly options like cucumber ($5), creamy avocado ($6.50) and umami mushroom ($8).

Nigiri sushi usually comes with two pieces per order. Choose from blue fin akami ($10), blue fin otoro ($18), seared garlic truffle salmon ($12) and more.

Customers can also opt for a variety of sashimi, including a nine-piece sashimi trio ($22). Meanwhile, the nigiri flight ($28) — a five-piece sampler including akami, chutoro, otoro, New Zealand salmon and hamachi — features Nori Bar’s most popular fish.

The eatery’s chirashi bowl ($33) — comprising maguro, salmon, hamachi, Hokkaido scallop, ikura, uni and tamago — is another customer favorite.

The eatery also offers non-seafood entrees, including spicy miso ramen ($23) and tonkotsu ramen ($19). The latter features a rich, creamy pork broth with black garlic oil and braised pork char siu.

Validated parking is available for customers at Hyatt Centric Waikīkī Beach (two hours of free parking with a $35 spend; four hours of free parking with a $70 spend).

Validated customer parking at Hyatt Centric Waikīkī Beach, floor six (two hours free parking with $35 spend, four hours free parking with $70 spend)

Nori Bar Waikiki spread 040126

<title>Nori Bar Hawaiʻi opens Waikīkī location</title>

The hand roll spot — whose original location is in Ward Village — just opened a second location on Kūhiō Avenue, in the former space of Ice Monster. This store is bigger than the Ward Village one, but features the same menu. Nori Bar Waikīkī will be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Nori Bar Hawaiʻi opens Waikīkī location

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Columnists

Onlookers were stunned on Sunday, March 29, when the famous Scottish lake monster, affectionately known as Nessie, broached the waters of the equally famous Ala Wai Canal.

[{"type":"text","text":"ASD was first on the scene, bringing you these exclusive photos."}]

We were soon joined by noted Isle cryptozoologist Sigmund Zack, who said he was alerted by postings on the private social media channel of a secretive monster hunter society.

“I never thought I’d see the day!” said Zack. “I had been saving up all my Atmos Rewards miles for a trip to Scotland and now this happens — amazing!”

The creature kept perfectly still, head in the air, as if embarrassed to be caught in the open in broad daylight.

[{"type":"text","text":"Isn’t Nessie a little far from home? we asked."}]

“It’s 42 degrees in Loch Ness,” says noted Isle cryptozoologist Sigmund Zack. “That’s Fahrenheit, it’s sounds even worse in Centigrade, just 5 or 6 degrees! So the question isn’t, ‘Why would Nessie swim 7,000 miles to vacation in Waikīkī?” it’s ‘Why wouldn’t he?”

Zack speculated on the beast’s route across the Atlantic, down the Eastern Seaboard, through the Panama Canal, past Easter Island, finally arriving in the Islands with uncanny navigational skill. Was Waikīkī its final destination?

He shrugged. “There’s just so much we don’t know about Nessie. Its mating habits, its taste in streaming content, its connection, if any, to Big Foot. So many blanks to fill!”

Could Nessie pose a threat? If, as theories suggest, the lake monster is a Plesiosaurus, a living fossil from the Jurassic period, it’s likely to be carnivorous.

At that, Zack narrowed his eyes and dashed off a quick text message to unknown parties.

“I want to assure people,” he said to ASD, “that Nessie would never use its long neck, jagged teeth, lightning reflexes and propulsive swimming ability to pluck people from the sidewalk in a flash and drag them down into the Ala Wai as a snack. Not joggers, not kids, definitely not pets. And definitely not at night, when no one would notice. Nope. Definitely not.”

A crowd had gathered. Someone noted that the long neck and apparent humps of the sinewy serpent looked suspiciously like a log carried into the canal by the recent Kona Low deluge. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Zack threw up his hands."}]

 you to think!” he exclaimed. “Listen, people, and look at these photos,” he said, taking ASD’s iPhone and rummaging through the photos without so much as a thank you.

“The first photo is from 2:48 p.m. and the creature is clearly facing makai, looking into the feeding grounds — I mean, excuse me, the 

 — of Waikīkī. Then, just 12 minutes later, he is photographed again — by a journalist, mind you — this time facing mauka, possibly toward the ball field for leaner prey, I mean, where people play.

“Now, you tell me, what kind of log can change direction on its own, huh? Only flippers can do that!”

As he wrapped up on that conclusive, scientific point, Zack handed back ASD’s phone, took one last look at the bleached, scaly, possibly bark-like hide of the beast and walked off in a hurry.

[{"type":"text","text":"Happy April Fools’ Day, everyone!"}]

Nessie 29 March 2 48 pm 16x9

<title>Loch Ness monster spotted in Ala Wai Canal</title>

“It’s 42 degrees in Loch Ness,” says noted Isle cryptozoologist Sigmund Zack. “The question isn’t, ‘Why would Nessie swim 7,000 miles to vacation in Waikīkī?” it’s ‘Why wouldn’t he?”

Loch Ness monster spotted in Ala Wai Canal

Ready to make plans for the long weekend? Aloha State Daily has you covered. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, April 3"}]

Enjoy arts and crafts, food and music as part of the Farm Fun(d) Day, which is a flood relief fundraiser for farmers who were impacted by back-to-back Kona Low storms. The activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kōkua Learning Farm in Haleʻiwa, put on by 

. There is no fee to attend, but donations are accepted. All proceeds from the event will go to the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Foundation to support local framers. 

Eat at the new Chick-fil-A, which is the largest in Hawai

 is set to open on Thursday, April 2, on the corner of Kapiʻolani Boulevard and Kalākaua Avenue. It will be the eatery’s largest restaurant to date in Hawaiʻi. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, April 4"}]

 Check with local churches for service times. 

City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation

 are hosting one or more events during Easter weekend. 

Ala Moana Center is closed on Easter Sunday

The Queen of Island Reggae, who calls Kailua home, has upcoming performances at the Blue Note Hawaiʻi. The shows start at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. in Waikīkī. Doors open at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., respectively. She will be showcasing some of her new music from the latest album released in December of 2025. There is a $20 food or beverage minimum, per person. Tickets start at $25 plus fees and taxes. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, April 5"}]

Restaurants are already accepting reservations and pre-orders for Easter Sunday. 

Where to celebrate Easter 2026 – part 1

. The list includes chocolate eggs, as well as brunch buffets and more. 

Easter Sunday

<title>Five things to do on Oʻahu this weekend: Friday, April 3, through Sunday, April 5</title>

Looking for plans for the long weekend? Aloha State Daily has rounded up some ideas of events for the entire ʻohana, including plans for Easter Sunday.

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