Zippy's newest collaboration creates collection for humans and pets

Pet owners — and their pets — can get in on Zippy's ongoing anniversary celebrations thanks to a new collaboration between the restaurant chain and local brand Coopmonsters.

The collab — now available at zippys.com before being released in-person at Coopmonster's Made in Hawai‘i Festival booth on Aug. 20 — include hair claw clips and pet gear to commemorate Zippy's 60th and Coopmonsters' 10th anniversaries.

The claw clips for humans, which are offered in regular and mini sizes, draw inspiration from Zippy's iconic Zip Pac and Apple Napple, an announcement from the the restaurant notes. Meanwhile, the pet gear features Zippy's orange logo print on a number of items for your furry friends: a collar, harness, leash and poop bag holder.

Jessica Yamamoto, communications and social media manager for Zippy's, told Aloha State Daily in an email that talks of this collaboration began about a year ago, when the Made in Hawai‘i Festival hosted a buyers' hour, which is about an hour before the festival opens to the public, where other vendors, local businesses and buyers can connect.

"Coopmonsters and Zippy's have also been longtime friends on the internet, so when our anniversaries came up in conversation, this felt like the most natural and authentic way for both our brands to work together," she says. "We think it's important to create a collection that also includes pets because we know that our pets love Zippy's just as much as we do!"

The large hair claws are $18, while the mini clips, which will be available at the Coopmonsters MIHF booth, will go for $17. The poop bag holder is $14, the collar is $18, the leash is $22 and the harness is $28. You can shop online here.

(ICYMI: The largest-ever MIHF is set for Aug. 20 to 23 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. Tickets are on sale now, although tickets for Thursday, Aug. 20, have sold out).

Brothers Francis and Charles Higa opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood in 1966. Today, Zippy's has more than two dozen locations on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and in Las Vegas. The chain celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, and Francis' son, spoke with Aloha State Daily about the restaurant's origins, legacy and more earlier this year.

Zippy's, which has honored the milestone throughout the year, kicked off its anniversary celebration earlier this year with the launch of a new line of 60th anniversary merch.

As part of the ongoing anniversary celebration, the restaurant has so far unveiled an exclusive aloha shirt in collaboration with Kahala; partnered with Diamond Bakery to create a limited release, specially marked box of Original Hawaiian Soda Crackers; and launched a collab with Hawaiian Island Creations.

"The response [to these collaborations] has been incredibly encouraging, and we’re very grateful for the support our customers and community have shown throughout our 60th anniversary year," Yamamoto told ASD. "Each collaboration has been an opportunity to celebrate local businesses, creativity and the people who have supported Zippy’s over the decades. We’ve been fortunate to see strong enthusiasm for the collections, with many customers sharing their excitement online, visiting our stores to talk to our team members about the products and telling us how much they enjoy seeing beloved local brands come together. It’s been rewarding to create collaborations that feel authentic to Hawai‘i, and we’re humbled by the positive reception all of our collections have received so far."

Zippy's reopened its Kāhala location in July, following a months-long renovation.

Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.

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