Māla Ocean Tavern is often synonymous with brunch and oceanfront dining — at least on Maui’s West side. The eatery was the first restaurant to reopen its Front Street location following the August 2023 Lahaina fire.
“We closed on Aug. 8, 2023, and reopened on Feb. 1, 2024,” says Ashley Davis, co-owner of Māla Ocean Tavern and its sister restaurant, Coco Deck Lahaina. The restaurants are a few of several under Hana Hou Hospitality group.
The eatery has been a staple in the Lahaina community. While Davis and her business partners bought the restaurant in November 2018, it’s been open since 2004. Prior to it being Māla, Davis was told the space was a former barbecue spot, then a biker bar in the ’80s and ’90s.
While the eatery is especially busy during dinner — “people want to come there for sunset,” according to Davis — its brunch is also a hit. Prior to 2018, brunch was only available on the weekends.
“The previous ownership did not do brunch every day; that was something we implemented,” she says. “A lot of people work on the weekends; who doesn’t want to have brunch every day? Māla’s brunch is at a very affordable price point for oceanfront dining.”
Māla’s brunch is offered daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Popular options range from eggs Benedicts and chilaquiles to ube hot bread with whipped honey butter and lemon ricotta buttermilk pancakes.
“I feel like we have been adapting since we bought Māla,” Davis says. “When we had the opportunity to own it, we wanted to keep it Māla; we didn’t want it to change. We were just getting our rhythm and stride (after buying the restaurant), and then we were in the Covid-19 pandemic (two years later).”
She says the eatery had its first “normal” month in July 2023 — in that business was more consistent to what it had been prior to the pandemic — and then the fires happened that August. While the restaurant building suffered damage, due to the strong winds, none of the physical building burned, according to Davis.
“The building definitely suffered damage, most of it from wind, and we did have smoke damage,” she says. “We were very close to the fires; it’s really remarkable that Coco Deck — called Duckine, at the time — survived; it’s a completely wood building, very old. The houses right next door burned down; Māla was right across the street.”
The aftermath of the fires was “devastating,” according to Davis, who says there were numerous challenges associated with reopening. But, it was important for the restaurant owners to stay in close contact with its employees. Davis says she views the restaurant’s employees as family.
“We wouldn’t have done it (reopened) if our teams didn’t want to come back,” she says. “There are so many employees that worked for us at Down the Hatch (our sister restaurant on Front Street that was lost in the Lahaina fire) that work for us now at Māla, Coco Deck and Pizza Paradiso (another sister restaurant). They stuck with us; they’re our ʻohana.”
Davis says that, following the 2023 fires, many restaurant employees had homes that were lost in the fires and had to relocate.
“When we spoke with our employees that were still on Maui, those people wanted to come back to work,” she remembers. “They were ready to come back to work; they were ready to have that sense of normalcy.
“I can’t believe we’re coming up on three years (since the fires); it’s really wild,” she adds. “When you start talking about it, you get emotional just thinking of everything that happened and all the people that were affected. But we wanted to continue what we were doing and have something for our community.”
Davis remembers feeling apprehensive before Māla reopened on Feb. 1, 2024.
“We were a little worried that people might be upset with us,” she says. “But there was a lot more support than we expected, and it was a really beautiful thing. The first month (we were open) was overwhelming because a lot of people would come in just to remember. It would be quite emotional as they said they could step back in time — because when you’re in Māla and you look out at the water, it looked the same.”
Chef Alvin Savella and general manager Robert Farrell — both owners of Coco Deck Kitchen + Bar — were instrumental in Māla Ocean Tavern’s reopening, according to Davis. At the time, Coco Deck Kitchen + Bar was still called Duckine.
“We hadn’t re-branded Coco Deck yet; we opened as Coco Deck in September,” she says. “Thankfully, chef Alvin — who was born and raised in Lahaina — and Rob Farrell, whose wife is born and raised in Lahaina, are our business partners. Both of them previously worked at Māla; they were very familiar with the business, and they were the ones who got things going (for reopening).”
Māla was able to reopen with the majority of its menu, with the exception of a few dishes.
“At the time, we sourced our bread from a bakery that was lost to the fires; there were a few things we had to shift gears and had to find a substitute,” Davis says. “A lot of our purveyors are not based in Lahaina, but some of the farms we worked with were affected. The fires impacted so many people.”
Some of the dishes from Māla’s early days — like ‘ahi bruschetta, oyster shooters, and seared ‘ahi — are still on the current menu, according to Davis.
“The ‘ahi bruschetta is definitely a dish that originated at Māla with the flax seed toast; it’s now with a whole grain toast that we’re making in house,” she says. “The oyster shooters come with ponzu and a little lemon wedge. The seared ‘ahi tuna on the dinner menu had a different name (before), but the preparation of the dish is similar.”
She notes that the Hawaiian whole fried fish, served with a black bean garlic ginger butter sauce and local veggies, now features an updated presentation.
“The whole fish is something that is still there (from before); prior, it had a little more of a Mediterranean feel,” Davis says. “We’re always going to have the whole fish and the wagyu burger; people love that.”
The eatery now has an in-house baker, so Māla’s pastas, breads and pastries — including cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns — are made in house.
The current restaurant scene
Davis describes the restaurant’s reopening as “gradual.” While the community did show up to support the eatery, she acknowledges that “it was hard for people to go and see it (Lahaina) all gone.”
“It is shocking still, even though most of the debris is cleaned up,” she says. “It’s still shocking to drive into town and have town not be there. It took people time.
“People will come into the restaurant and talk about what they did in Lahaina, dropping into Kimo’s or Down the Hatch,” she adds.
At the time of our interview in May 2026, all of the businesses surrounding Māla have reopened. Davis notes that Star Noodle — popular for its fresh noodles and Asian-inspired dishes — relocated to a different space on Front Street.
“Thank goodness for our neighbors,” Davis says. “We wanted them to open up; we couldn’t wait. The encouragement of our team and our people helped us (reopen), and that helped them (surrounding businesses), too. It helped all of us in our ability to move forward.”
Māla, along with its sister restaurants, continues to provide local residents with a 20% kamaʻāina discount. It’s something the restaurant has always done, according to Davis.
“All of our restaurants have a 20% kamaʻāina discount; we’re always hoping our kamaʻāina come,” she says. “We want our residents and community members to be coming into the restaurant; the visitors will follow.”
An update on Down the Hatch
Māla’s sister restaurant — Down the Hatch — opened in 2015, and was one of the Front Street restaurants that was lost to the Lahaina fires. Davis shares that the restaurant will be reopening in Kaanapali. At the time of our interview, paperwork had been signed and permits were applied for; the eatery is expected to reopen next year, according to Davis.
“It’s going to be a different journey; it’s in a completely new location,” she says. “Prior, (in Lahaina), we were across from the banyan tree, and you had all that foot traffic, which was amazing. It was in the wharf, so it was all these different floors.
“We’ve taken over an existing location that needs some work,” she adds. “What will be nice about it is it’s in a good location for the community; it will be walking distance for all the guests that come from Kaanapali.”
Davis confirms that Down the Hatch’s menu will be the same, and customer favorites like the lava lava shrimp — crispy shrimp with lava lava sauce — and lobster and crab stuffed grilled cheese will be available.
“The feel (of the restaurant) is going to be the same, and some of the employees will be the same,” she says. “That’s the hope and we’re going to do our best to adapt to the circumstances. Hopefully, when people come in there, they’re going to have a little bit of a feel of what it used to be.”
Chef Alvin Savella — chef of Coco Deck Kitchen + Bar — will be involved with Down the Hatch’s reopening. According to Davis, Savella oversaw and brought new menu items to Down the Hatch around the same time he joined the team at Māla Ocean Tavern, before he had the opportunity to open Duckine (now Coco Deck).
“It’s great to know that he’s on board and we’re going to have that opportunity,” Davis says. “We’re getting approved for our permits right now. We want to be there for the community; that’s a huge reason why we’re doing this.”
While exciting plans are in the works for Down the Hatch, Davis wants to thank the community for its ongoing support, and encourages both Maui residents and visitors to support West Maui’s businesses.
“The support of our community has been so beautiful,” she says. “It’s the people that make the place, and that’s how I feel about Māla. It’s really from the back of the house to the front of the house — our people that show up every day and give their all, and genuinely care. That’s really what I’m most grateful for.
“Thank you also to the community, the people that come in; the stories don’t stop,” she adds. “We’ve been a part of so many people’s journeys. Those are beautiful memories and we’re honored to be in a spot where we can keep something alive. This small little strip of restaurants is going to be part of the history of Lahaina in a different way than it was before.”
CONTACT
Māla Ocean Tavern
1307 Front St., Lahaina
malatavern.com
Instagram: @malatavern
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
