Business & Tourism

These Hawai‘i coffee shops, distilleries are nominated for 10Best lists

The USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards aim to rank the 10 best in several areas of travel and lifestyle. Nominees are chosen with the help of a panel of experts but the final 10 will be determined by voters.

Zarina Dessert Studio’s viral fruit desserts are now in Kapolei

The online dessert shop’s fruit-shaped confections are now available at HI Cravings’ Co-Op in Kapolei. The fruit desserts feature a white chocolate crunchy shell with a ganache filling inside; popular flavors include mango, pina colada, pistachio, banana and coffee caramel.

Cae’s Smash and Grindz is a new smashburger biz

The business, which pops up at events across Oʻahu, celebrated its grand opening in July. Cae’s Smash and Grindz is known for its smashburgers with ube buns; the business’s bacon and mushroom smash is its bestseller and most popular dish.

Storms and war, make for gloomy economic forecast, UHERO reports

State's economic future uncertain as interest rates and fuel costs soar.

UPDATED: Chinatown Cultural Plaza to be razed, redeveloped

The center, owned by the Taiwan government, will be demolished and redeveloped after a years-long push by the City and County of Honolulu to improve the site. Over the past 50 years, Chinatown Cultural Plaza has “carried forward our unique cultural traditions and preserved the shared memories of Honolulu,” said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu. Its tenants received end of lease termination notices and must vacate the premises by the end of March 2027.

Mele for Maui gets encore broadcast on Hawaiʻi News Now

Did you miss the free concert featuring Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra’s first performance on Maui in a decade last weekend? This Sunday, you can catch the encore broadcast of the event, which features guest artists, such as Keola Beamer, Amy Hānaiali‘i and John Cruz, on Hawaiʻi News Now.

Honolulu's next story is not about rail. It is about jobs.

Could a Skyline station become the center of a local economy where people live, work, shop and build businesses in the same neighborhood?

Pipikaula Corner: Bowfin leads the way

In Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum is celebrating its 45th anniversary with the debut of $4 million worth of new exhibits. This comes just five years after a $20-million overhaul of the entire museum to bring it into the 21st century. ASD Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier explains why this is possible for a small, historic ship nonprofit.

Mana Up showcase will highlight Hawai‘i entrepreneurs

Eleven businesses selected to be part of Mana Up's Cohort 11 will be introduced during a television broadcast and livestream that premiers on Sunday Oct. 18. An in-person marketplace will follow from Nov. 5 at Bloomingdale’s in Ala Moana Center.

Vendor applications open for interim Lahaina marketplace

‘Ulu O Lele will be the first project to bring storefronts back to Lahaina's Front Street.

Nobu Grand Wailea celebrates one-year anniversary

The restaurant, located at Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, opened last April. Aloha State Daily caught up with chef Nobu Matsuhisa when he was on Maui for the resort’s “An Evening with Chef Nobu” anniversary event. Matsuhisa talked more about his cooking style, recent projects, and what makes the Grand Wailea restaurant special.

Blue Bird Kauaʻi reopens in Līhu‘e

After being temporarily closed due to Hurricane Lowell, Blue Bird Kauaʻi — which opened its Līhu‘e storefront last November — recently reopened its doors. The locally owned and operated business got its start as a trailer in 2023, and encourages the community to support one another.

Shop Macy’s Waikīkī, round up to raise money for Mālama Maunalua

There’s still time this month to help support community efforts to restore native forests and coral reefs in East Honolulu's Maunalua Bay through a new partnership.

Pacific Fashion Week unites Islanders through culture and design

Pacific Fashion Week brought designers and creatives to Waikīkī at Kaimama Beach Hotel on Friday to discuss challenges in the industry, priorities for the future and what authenticity looks like in their art.

American Savings Bank goes public

ASB stock is now being traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ASBH.

AIA Honolulu continues to build community with Architecture Month

October is AIA Honolulu's annual Architecture Month and the organization has events planned on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island throughout the month.

Pacific Media Group launches 'Culture'

CULTURE by Pacific Media Group offers up local podcasts, social media shorts, YouTube shows and documentaries, bringing new media platforms together with legacy media.

Choco leʻa is celebrating its 12th birthday

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, the Mānoa-based business will be offering free samples, a free gift with purchase, and a first look at its new merchandise. Choco leʻa also recently launched a variety of interactive experiences; come with Aloha State Daily on its mini kitchen access tour, where we learned more about the chocolate-making process.

Taste of Ward is back Sept. 16 to 30

For two weeks, you can take advantage of featured dishes and limited-time offers at participating Ward Village restaurants and businesses.

Pritchett Cartoon: AI panic ...

Jessica’s Restaurant is now open in Kapolei

The business, known for its local-style Filipino comfort foods, recently moved from ʻAiea to Kapolei. Jessica’s Restaurant has added Italian dishes — ranging from chicken fettucine alfredo to garlic shrimp linguine — to its menu, and plans to eventually open until 2 a.m.

Pipikaula Corner: Hawai‘i's tourism hypocrisy

An awful lot of us think tourists do nothing here but "extract" and "exploit" the Islands and their people. But guess what we do the minute we have two weeks off?

At Lahaina bakery Papi's ‘Ohana, every pastry is a blessing

Behind every fresh cinnamon roll is days of work and love at this family-run business. Lahaina-based Papi’s ʻOhana, known for its huge, warm cinnamon rolls, celebrated its fourth anniversary this summer. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with chef David and Linda Escobar, who tell us more about the bakery’s early days, how it got its name, and what lies ahead for 2027.

Retailers say fines for illegal peddling are too low

The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that would increase the fines for unlawful peddling on Oʻahu.