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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Bad to the bone..."}]

Smile 26 6 23

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 23, 2026</title>

Bad to the bone...

Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Over the summer, the NCAA announced another sweeping change in a decade full of them, introducing new aged-based eligibility rules for student-athletes. 

NCAA student-athletes now have a continuous five-year eligibility window that starts when one graduates high school or turns 19, whichever comes first. 

Under previous rules, student-athletes had four years to compete and could gain a fifth year by redshirting. Athletes could also get a sixth year via medical hardship waiver. When the NCAA granted student-athletes an extra year of eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, it created an influx of athletes that were able to reach Year 7 and beyond. 

The new five-year rule essentially eliminates redshirts and comes with just a few exceptions, including religious missions, military service and pregnancy. 

Because of age, not all student-athletes will automatically have five years at their disposal. But across the country, many student-athletes entering their fourth years ahead of the 2026-2027 thought they were seniors and thus would be done after the season. That is no longer the case. And in the age of NIL and the transfer portal, many will feel inclined to explore their options once their respective seasons are over. 

As coaches adapt to the five-year eligibility rule, it promises to create roster crunches for the time being. Aloha State Daily asked a handful of University of Hawai‘i head coaches how they plan to adjust to the new rule and the different aspects that come with it. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Timmy Chang, football"}]

Back when Chang was a quarterback for Hawai‘i in the early 2000s, he played five years the old school way — his sophomore season in 2001 was limited to three games because of a wrist injury. Because he played less than a third of the season, he was granted a medical redshirt. The extra season, in part, allowed him to set the NCAA passing yardage record with 17,072, though he was eventually passed by Houston's Case Keenum, who received six years from 2006 to 2011 after a traditional redshirt and medical hardship.

Prior to the 2018 season, it was announced by the NCAA that football players could play in any four games and maintain a redshirt. Although it kept players engaged and provided breathing room to not burn a season by playing a handful of snaps, that rule has since gone out the window. With 105 roster spots and no transfer limits after the season, does Chang feel inclined to play less true freshmen? 

"I think the biggest thing, if you have value here in your freshman season, whether the value comes from offense, special teams, you might not be a starter week one, but things happen. You ready? You get your opportunity," Chang said. "You get put in there. That's what we look for. Hopefully, the guys continue to develop, they grow, they understand the sense of urgency that happens and they're ready to perform."

56-21 win at Northern Illinois on Oct. 24

, true freshman cornerback Kydel Stone snagged his first career interception while true freshman running back TJ Fo'ilefutu ran for his first touchdown. 

Fifth-year senior receiver Pofele Ashlock has not played in 2026 due to a knee injury. Under the old rules, he would have been granted a sixth year in 2027 in all likelihood. Though UH has petitioned for it, they have yet to receive an answer from the NCAA. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Michele Nagamine, soccer"}]

Roster logjams across all sports are expected in the wake of the new rule. For Nagamine, that means some tough conversations with high school recruits. 

"It's something that everybody's just trying to figure out, but it's a matter of are we going to recruit players for [the high school class of] 2028 when we could possibly have a [traditional four-year] senior returning? Obviously, if we could get a senior to return that has been impactful on the field and a good member of the team, then we would we would gladly take that over [the high school recruit]. So, we've had some conversations," she said early on in the 2026 season. 

The Rainbow Wahine honored nine seniors following a 

. Standout goalkeeper Kennedy Justin was one of them, though she has already announced she will play collegiate soccer in 2027. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Joshua Walker, women's volleyball"}]

Upon getting offered and accepting the UH women's volleyball gig in June, Walker hit the ground running in the recruiting trail. Prep Dig currently ranks Hawai‘i's 2027 recruiting class as the 

. All 15 players on the current roster would be eligible to return in 2027, though outside hitter Tali Hakas recently announced the 2026 indoor season will be her last, and that she'll move on from college after playing the 2027 spring beach season with the Rainbow Wahine. 

"I don't have to make any decisions just yet," Walker said back in August. "For us, it's just getting established with this team and see how things are going to go. But as we hit towards the back end of the year, those questions kind of come up. We'll address those then."

Though women's basketball teams are permitted to have up to 15 players on the roster, Mitchell has deliberately kept 12 in her debut season. The foundation of her roster consists of star junior center Ritorya Tamilo and sophomore guard Bailey Flavell. When she brings in new players, particularly high school recruits, will they operate under the thinking that they have five years? 

"I haven't adjusted in the way of telling them, 'Hey, you get five years here.' I think because of this era, I think you take it a year at a time, and you see what works best for not just the player, but for us as well," Mitchell said. "I hope every player wants to stay here. That would be the real win of the entire season, is we identify our standard, and every single player on this roster wants to return because we've increased and tried to make sure that they had a really good playing experience.

"That's been the key to success here: consistency and retention, and that's still my number one priority. How do I recruit them every day, right? I want them to know how invested I am in them and in their professional aspirations. ... I want what they want. If I've done my job and I made them the best player they can be, and I can no longer offer them something, then absolutely, I'm their number one fan. But if they want to stay here and do this together with us, I want that as well."

 graduated high school in 2019, then went on a two-year church mission. His NCAA clock began in 2021. After suffering an ACL injury prior to the 2025-2026 season, he was granted a sixth year via medical hardship redshirt. For the first time in his life, he's teammates with his little brother, UH freshman guard Tiger Cuff. Under the new rules, that wouldn't have been permitted. 

Though redshirts are out of the picture, Ganot says he and his staff will continue to be flexible towards new rule changes. In the 2026-2027 season, his roster of 15 consists of 13 newcomers. 

"We haven't burned any redshirt years since we've been here. Now it's out of the equation, so it's kind of all hands on deck," Ganot said. "Certainly when you have injuries, I think in terms of the landscape of college athletics, and even with the five-for-five, you've seen what we've done. We're like chameleons. You've seen the new world. I feel like we can still bring in some young prospects that we can develop. We've done a really good job with even looking outside the box with two Division II players that we feel are really good [in 

 and Isaiah Kerr]. Obviously over the years we've brought in some junior college guys. We bring in the global component, and we incorporate the transfers. So, I feel like working to continue to do that in this new world, even as you bring in the five in five, we will be flexible in terms of balance of our roster of where we're bringing them from."

Wade says he knew the five-year rule was on the horizon, and it's informed the way he's managed his roster in recent years. His son, Kainoa, could have redshirted as a true freshman in 2025, but Charlie Wade saw no point in that.

"I've known it's coming for years," he said. "I was one of the few people that was saying it's coming, and so redshirt's not really been a thing, right? Kainoa came in [as a spring semester enrollee] and we played him. Even last year with [middle blocker] Roman [Payne] hurt, he redshirted only because of injury. Everybody knew that the five-for-five was going to come in, and you're not going to get a sixth. So, redshirt really hasn't been a thing for a few years. Just get guys out there, start playing them, start to develop them even more."

 have some tantalizing options as it pertains to players getting an additional year. Kainoa Wade is one of them. Setter Tread Rosenthal was just 17 when he enrolled at Hawai‘i in 2024, and the 2027 season would have been his senior year. The new rule allows him to come back in 2028. But would a player of his ilk stay another year in college instead of go pro? 

"Everybody's looking at it like, 'OK, we have a chance [to play an extra year].' I think most of the core guys are going to go pro, right? I know Kainoa is already talking about getting his masters, and Travell [Jordan] may stick around for year five, but a lot of the other guys, they've been turning down professional offers for quite some time," Wade said. "And then you have to you sync it up with graduation, also. A lot of them are graduating, and so coming back, you can't just come back and play a fifth year. You actually have to go to school, and you have to be in a grad program. So, it really will be more of a case-by-case thing. I'd like to have them all back, but yeah, what's it worth to the [athletics] department to pay those guys in rev share to come back for a whole other year?"

Charlie Wade 110626

<title>UH coaches dish on NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule</title>

With an extra year for some players to work with, recruiting strategy and roster construction has changed for every sport.

UH coaches dish on NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Plans by the U.S. Navy and NASA to extend their leases for more than 8,100 acres on Kaua‘i are up in the air.

In August, the Navy and NASA concurrently 

 a final environmental impact statement for a proposed 25-year extension of their respective leases of the Pacific Missile Range Facility and the Kōke‘e Park Geophysical Observatory on Kaua‘i.

However, on Thursday, the Department of Land and Natural Resources announced that the Navy and NASA have withdrawn that statement, requiring them to start their environmental documentation process over.

 by Rear Admiral Rich Jarrett, Navy Region Hawai‘i commander, and Denise Thaller, administrator of NASA’s Office of Strategic Infrastructure, only said their agencies have “elected to undertake additional review and refinement of the environmental documentation before pursuing further state review.”

“The Navy and NASA remain committed to continued coordination with DLNR and to providing the [Board of Land and Natural Resources] with environmental documentation that supports an informed review of the proposed real estate action,” the letter concluded.

The BLNR had a deadline to accept the final EIS by the end of September. However, the impacts of Hurricane Lowell on Kaua‘i caused DLNR to suspend that deadline to allow Kaua‘i residents additional time to participate in the public comment period.

With the Navy and NASA rescinding their final EIS, that deadline is now moot. Should the two agencies choose to continue the environmental documentation process, the DLNR announced that they will be required to submit a new draft EIS first, compliant with all state filing requirements, including a new public-comment period, a process that will likely take months to years.

The existing leases and easements the Navy and NASA have for the lands will expire between 2027 and 2030.

DLNR First Deputy Director Dave Day said the DLNR believes the agencies’ decision to be “in the best interest of the people of Hawai‘i.”

“Whether a person agrees or disagrees with this particular project, the Navy and NASA’s decision to withdraw the FEIS and potentially work to address concerns demonstrates respect for Hawai

i law and a responsiveness by federal agencies to the views of the people of Hawai

i who made their voices heard,” Day said.

The project has been controversial. Public 

 held on Kaua‘i last year saw dozens of Kaua‘i residents criticize the PMRF and accuse it of diverting water from vulnerable wetlands.

The decision to suspend the environmental documentation process would seem to continue a trend of U.S. military lease extensions stalling in the state. In May 2025, the BLNR 

 a proposal by the U.S. Army to extend its lease for the Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawai‘i Island, which is set to expire in 2029.

And earlier this week, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser 

 that the Army has proposed terminating its leases for the Kawailoa-Poamoho Training Area and the Mākua Military Reservation on O‘ahu, and parts of its leases for Pōhakuloa and the Kahuku Training Area.

PMRF 16x9

<title>Kaua‘i missile range lease extension stalls</title>

U.S. Navy and NASA withdraw environmental statement for 25-year lease extension of facilities on Kaua‘i.

Kaua‘i missile range lease extension stalls

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Columnists

[{"type":"text","text":"I am turning 65 years old."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"And no, it's not 65 years young."}]

I'm not a birthday number kind of guy and I'm definitely not a birthday party kind of guy either.

I don't really recall if I got that fired up about birthdays when I was a kid but there are certain age milestones that compel consideration.

My first impression of an important birthday was when I reached 10-years-old. Why? I was a decade old and didn't have to deal with fractions to make myself feel grown up.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Oh my, you're getting so much bigger now. How old are you?\""}]

[{"type":"text","text":"\"I'm 7 years and 8 months\"."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"I don't do math."}]

So, 10-years-old was a moment when I could leave behind the numerical embellishment and just be a whole number.

Of course, the 18th birthday was important because, yes, I was an adult. Legally, morally, and ethically. I'm now technically a man, baby. I was in my first year of school, away from home, and I discovered a sense of independence and freedom for really the first time. I also discovered toga parties. Case closed.

The 21st. The big one. All gearing up for that first drink, that first time in a bar. Scratch that. I was doing that for about as long as I can remember. Let's just say I grew up fast.

There were others of significance; the 30th, the 40th, and each decade that followed. In that span of 30-plus years, I had only two "parties." I was content with spending time with my family, a dinner out/a dinner in, catch a movie or something similar. 

Back in the day I loved to play poker. To this day I still love to play golf.

I would treat myself to solo trips to play cards in Vegas or to a poker room in the Bay Area (personal favorite was Lucky Chances). It was freeing and exceptionally enjoyable to do what you wanted, when you wanted, how you wanted and not have to worry about anybody else. Selfish? Doesn't matter. You get a day for yourself each year and you should do whatever the Hell you want — guilt free. And I did.

Other years, it was a long golf weekend with the boys. Neighbor islands. The last go around was three years ago to Kaua‘i. It was significant because that was the last time I was able to play pain free. I developed a bad shoulder condition over the years from side sleeping. Both shoulders, especially the left, became virtually immobilized. At the same time, I developed back pain, so I was truly hobbled. It was to the point I needed help from sitting down to getting out of my car. No bueno. I was prescribed physical therapy and after the first of an estimated 8 months of treatment I moved on. 

I was blessed to have met the physicians at NexGenesis Healthcare who specialized in regenerative therapy utilizing your own stem cells. Cut to the chase. Miraculously, I was back. Movement, mobility, negating chronic pain. Gone. It was and remains amazing. It allowed me to do what I love and my quality of life was restored.

There's a whole cadre of considerations when you reach the 65-year-old mark and decisions to make.

Medicare. I've heard about it, I've reported about it, but what is it? All I know is I have three months to register or I can be subject to fines and other bad things. Hey, I have my own healthcare and it's treating me just fine, but I'll figure out what it's about.

Retire or work. Umm, I live in Hawai‘i, the 

 expensive place in the solar system. There's no way I am going to retire here. Plus, I love what I do for a living. I've been in the radio business for 40-plus years, and I'm blessed to work with Aloha State Daily. I honestly think I'd be bored.

Get a physical. If you have not had one recently and you're 65, the time is yesterday. Take it from me. Year after year I said to myself now 

 is the time I'll change. Moron — I didn't and now I'm confronting substantial health issues. Thankfully, I'm benefitting from quality care from so many, but this would have been avoided if I had only stayed the course.

Social Security benefits. At age 66, you can qualify for full benefits. Some folks began at 62. I'm still working and I'm not sure I would even qualify for Social Security disbursements. I'll take another look next year in order to optimize my benefits. But you have to make some decisions one way or the other.

What to do when you're gone. Ok, there's no joy in Mudville when contemplating and discussing your own mortality. But it has to be done. Here's the tricky part. You have to have the conversation with your family. Yes, the kids, too. There are no written rules but sharing with those who are closest and important to you is helping them more than it's helping you. If you're the breadwinner, you have a responsibility to ensure your family knows what to do when you die, and they know that you're taking care of them when you're gone.

Be honest about everything. Do you want to be buried or cremated? Do you have funeral insurance? Who do you want — or do not want — to attend your service? Is your will completed and is it a legally binding document? You do 

 want any confusion that can prove to be destructive to those who are already grieving your loss. If you find this difficult enlist a dispassionate professional so you can get advice from a party who has no skin in the game. You'll rest peacefully knowing you did what was right.

Finally, as 65 years on Earth approaches, it's time to live in the moment. Take a few more days off, create a great "bucket list" of things you'd love to do and see, and do your very, very best to reconnect relationships that may have faltered over the years. Forgiveness is a powerful act that delivers a dramatic return on a minimal investment. It's OK to say you're sorry. 

A story is shared by a pastor who attended so many final moments of parishioners who passed. He relates that no one ever asked to see their trophies one last time or have their diplomas brought into the hospital room to be seen again or have stacks of cash surrounding them on their beds. The last wish of those dying is to be surrounded by the people they love. Their families and dearest friends.

You don't have to wait until the last moments to understand that's the essence of life.

[{"type":"text","text":"Regardless of your age, start living a life of love today."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"text":" "}]

65th birthday i Stock 1355524991

<title>Hamada: Reflections — big reflections — on turning 65</title>

There are a lot of good things to be grateful for, says ASD opinion columnist Rick Hamada, along with some regrets, and a whole lot of decisions to make that used to seem far off.

Hamada: Reflections — big reflections — on turning 65

Menor Chamber Staff Headshots

Sherry Menor

Viewpoints

Throughout my work with Hawaiʻi's business community, one thing has become increasingly clear: Our state's ability to grow depends on the investments we make today. Business leaders want to expand, entrepreneurs want to build, families want access to housing, and communities want to create opportunities for the next generation. But those ambitions depend on something we cannot overlook: infrastructure.

The approval of Constitutional Amendment Question 2 in the 2026 General Election gives Hawaiʻi another opportunity to address this challenge. The amendment allows the Legislature to authorize counties to issue Resilient Infrastructure for Shelter and Equity (RISE) Bonds to support qualifying infrastructure and community development projects in designated districts. The bonds would be repaid solely from future growth in property tax revenue within the designated districts. In doing so, it gives counties another potential tool to help address long-standing infrastructure needs.

Question 2's approval reflects the support of voters who recognized the need for new approaches to addressing Hawaiʻi's infrastructure challenges, as well as the efforts of the business and community leaders who helped advance the measure. Their work helped bring an important issue into the public conversation. Now the focus must shift to how this authority can be used responsibly and effectively.

Its approval also brings renewed attention to a question that deserves more urgency in our statewide conversations: How do we ensure our infrastructure keeps pace with the future we want to build?

For too long, infrastructure has been treated as something to address after development is proposed, rather than as a necessary foundation for growth. We cannot continue to approach housing and economic development this way. If we want to make meaningful progress, infrastructure planning must be part of the conversation from the beginning.

The consequences are reflected in our state's competitiveness.

 for infrastructure and cost of doing business in

 CNBC's 2026 Top States for Business rankings

. These rankings reflect challenges that employers, workers and families experience every day.

When infrastructure is inadequate, businesses face higher costs and uncertainty. Housing projects can be delayed or become more expensive. Communities have fewer opportunities to grow, and residents face greater difficulty accessing the homes, jobs and services they need. Ultimately, these challenges make it harder for Hawaiʻi to attract investment and retain the people who will shape our future.

The need for infrastructure investment extends well beyond supporting new development. In Hawaiʻi, our roads, bridges, water systems, drainage networks and other essential infrastructure are critical to keeping communities connected, protecting public safety and ensuring our state can withstand the impacts of natural disasters. Recent storms and flooding have reinforced how quickly damage to these systems can disrupt daily life, affect local businesses and set back recovery efforts. At the same time, reliable infrastructure is essential to building more housing, supporting economic activity and giving communities the foundation they need to grow. These are interconnected needs, and addressing them requires long-term planning and investment.

This is why I believe the approval of Question 2 matters.

Question 2 gives counties another potential tool to address local infrastructure priorities, particularly where improvements are needed to support housing and community development. It does not approve specific projects or determine how counties will use this authority. Those decisions will require careful planning, public input and accountability. But it creates an opportunity to think differently about how we prepare communities for growth.

We should not wait until infrastructure becomes a barrier to housing or business development before making it a priority.

, a shared statewide roadmap for strengthening our economy and improving quality of life. The Blueprint brings together public, private and community partners around priorities that include agriculture, economic action, maritime, military and defense, small business, and travel and tourism. While each sector has its own opportunities and challenges, all depend on a strong foundation of infrastructure, a capable workforce and an environment where businesses can grow.

Consider what infrastructure means across these areas. Our agricultural producers need reliable water systems and transportation networks to move local products to market. Small businesses need dependable utilities and accessible commercial areas. Our maritime and defense sectors rely on critical facilities and connections that support Hawaiʻi's role in the Pacific. Housing and workforce development are equally connected because people need places to live near the jobs that sustain our economy.

The 2030 Blueprint reminds us that economic competitiveness is not an isolated business concern. It is directly connected to whether families can afford to live here, whether employers can find and retain workers, and whether communities have the resources to support future generations. A stronger business environment and a better quality of life must be pursued together.

Of course, approving Question 2 is only one step toward addressing our infrastructure needs. Turning this opportunity into meaningful progress will require thoughtful planning, community input and a clear focus on projects that serve the public good. We must be intentional about how priorities are identified and decisions are made, while looking beyond individual projects to consider how infrastructure investments can support Hawaiʻi's broader, long-term economic and community goals.

, we will continue bringing businesses and community partners into these conversations, advocating for practical solutions and supporting policies that strengthen our state's economic foundation. We recognize that the success of Hawaiʻi's businesses is tied to the well-being of the people and communities they serve.

Voter approval of Question 2 gives Hawaiʻi an opportunity to move forward. We should use it with purpose and urgency. We cannot keep asking the next generation to build a future here while leaving them with the same infrastructure challenges we have struggled to address for decades.

A more competitive, resilient and prosperous Hawaiʻi will not happen by chance. It will take the willingness to make difficult decisions, invest in what matters and work together to turn a shared vision into measurable progress. The opportunity is in front of us. Now we need to build on it.

 is the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i.

COCH Sherry Menor State of Business

<title>Community Voices: Question 2 passed, now comes the work</title>

The voter-approved measure to issue Resilient Infrastructure for Shelter and Equity (RISE) Bonds gives counties another tool to address infrastructure needs. But turning that opportunity into meaningful progress will require planning, collaboration and accountability.

Community Voices: Question 2 passed, now comes the work

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

On Tuesday, Democrats won majorities in both houses of Congress. President Donald Trump will serve his final two years as a lame duck. Pundits often argue that lame duck presidents turn from frustration at home to adventurism abroad. If they are right, the next two years will be turbulent ones for the United States.

Democrats have impeached Trump twice before, and they seem likely to do so again. They will resist his domestic policy agenda. But a President besieged at home still sits at the table with other heads of state. He still commands the American military abroad. Foreign policy may offer an arena in which he has room to move.

Though Trump campaigned to end foreign wars, he has not been gun-shy. Our country faces the prospect of world war on at least three fronts.

All this talk of geopolitics may seem remote to people living on a mid-Pacific archipelago. But despite its apparent isolation, Hawaiʻi is central to the conflicts between great powers.  

Military lease terms depend on the needs of American empire in the Indo-Pacific. “Force posture realignments” mean billions of dollars and thousands of defense personnel coming to or leaving our state. Protests over proposed telescopes make for great spectacle, while Hawaiʻi’s key role in the great power race to control outer space is invisible to the naked eye.

A certain naivete precedes periods of great conflict. On the eve of World War I, European intellectuals looked forward to global peace. A similar irenic mood followed the “Great War,” before its deadlier sequel. British appeasement of Germany in the 1930s presupposed that peace was possible despite the territorial ambitions of the Nazi regime. And, of course, few people believed that Imperial Japan would bomb Pearl Harbor until the USS Arizona was underwater.

Since the Cold War began, folks in Hawaiʻi have sensed that we’re under the gun. Nuclear submarines docked in Pearl Harbor have their missiles trained on other great powers, and those great powers have their missiles aimed back — at us.

Nuclear annihilation is a quaint fear. Today, AI swarms are sent every day like kamikaze bombers. They burrow into computer systems, ready to cripple hospitals or to shut off the power or water supply. Bots are tilting social media algorithms to sow discord and foment unrest. Total warfare now reaches into the mind.

In Ukraine, drones swarm in the sky, leaving fiber optic cables strewn in their wake. The filaments are thin, nearly invisible — much like the relationship of Hawaiʻi to the grand strategies of rival empires.

Hawaiʻi was left off the map of the classic board game, Risk. But such global conflicts cannot help but consume us.

We are left to pray for our leaders, from the president and those who sit in Congress to our legislators and council members closer to home. We pray for their wisdom, and that they may receive and heed wise counsel.

May God keep our nation from war and protect our state from conflicts which threaten to engulf it.

Destroyers in Pearl Harbor i Stock 2022

<title>After the Blue Wave: Lame duck and foreign war?</title>

Hawaiʻi doesn’t appear on the Risk game board, but every front in a world war runs through Pearl Harbor. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on why a president boxed in by Congress may look for room to move overseas, and why that should worry a mid-Pacific archipelago.

After the Blue Wave: Lame duck and foreign war?

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"This new Honolulu cafe offers coffee and matcha on tap."}]

 just celebrated its grand opening. The café is located next to The Collective Honolulu Barbershop in Kalihi; it’s in the same lot as Mitsu-ken.

[{"type":"text","text":"The biz soft opened on Nov. 1 and celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 2."}]

The cafe's concept was inspired by a New York City coffee shop that’s known for its lattes on tap, according to Mike Vuong, one of The Collective Cafe’s business owners.

“We saw it (the coffee on tap) on social media and thought, ‘That’s crazy; I don’t think many people out here do it,’” Vuong says. “My buddy’s barber shop is The Collective Barbershop; he has another barber shop in ‘Aiea.

“We were looking for a space for him, and when this opportunity came up, it was a little bit too large, so he decided to split it,” Vuong adds. “It’s part coffee and part barber shop.”

The biz offers matcha and coffee on tap. Customers can choose from 10- ($5.50) and 18-ounce ($7.50) size drinks.

“We have ceremonial-grade matcha; we use it across the board for all of our matcha drinks,” Vuong says. “We do offer oat milk or whole milk to smooth out the Vietnamese coffee a little. Our black sesame coffee is definitely the most popular coffee; our strawberry matcha and our matcha cloud have also been very popular.”

Customers can also choose from ube, banana cream, pistachio, and Biscoff lattes. The Biscoff latte has a Cookie Butter foam and topping, while the strawberry matcha latte has a vanilla foam.

The Collective Cafe is currently open daily from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Customer parking is available.

“We just want everybody to come, enjoy what we’ve built here and enjoy some drinks,” Vuong says.

The Collective Cafe Mike Vuong 110426

<title>The Collective Cafe has coffee and matcha on tap</title>

The new cafe, located in Kalihi, just celebrated its grand opening. It’s inspired by a New York City-based cafe and offers Vietnamese coffee and matcha on tap. Choose from strawberry matcha lattes, black sesame lattes and more.

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