In Kaimukī, Hawai‘i’s Local Shopkeepers Flourish

As one of Honolulu’s most beloved neighborhoods, local shopkeepers reflect on how collectively retaining its charms is the key to its economic successes.

Text by
Kathleen Wong
Images by
John Hook and Chris Rohrer

Sometimes it feels like Kaimukī is frozen in time. Dry and sunny, the neighborhood extends from the entrance to Pālolo Valley to Diamond Head just east of Waikīkī. There are no fancy gated mansions like in Kāhala or Kaka‘ako-esque high-rise buildings in sight. Instead, homes and establishments date back to the early 20th century, a period of charming Hawai‘i plantation-style architecture.

The pulse of Kaimukī starts at its heart: Wai‘alae Avenue. Beginning at Kapahulu Avenue and tapering off near Kahala Mall, Wai‘alae runs right through Kaimukī. The warm spirit of Wai‘alae Avenue is palpable. You can feel it in the restaurants and stores at almost any time of day. There’s the cozy patio of Brew’d, which is lit by charming string lights, and right across the street is Mud Hen Water, with its romantic, bistro vibes. On the opposite end of Wai‘alae is Coffee Talk, where you can feel the buzzing energy radiate off the tall ceilings, and Pipeline Bakeshop and Creamery, a local malasada and dessert joint washed in a baby-blue hue. Patronizing Wai‘alae is more than just running a few errands, it’s an experience only a neighborhood that truly is proud of itself can offer.

“It’s always been a really cool neighborhood, I’ve always loved it, I’ve always thought that this is home,” said Liz Schwartz, owner of Coffee Talk, a bustling coffee shop on the corner of Wai‘alae Avenue and 12th Avenue. “It’s a real neighborhood where real people live and work.”

From her veteran post on Wai‘alae, Schwartz, who is a Kaimukī resident, has noted a recent revitalization of the neighborhood. “I feel like there’s new energy breathing into Kaimukī, and it’s a great feeling,” she said. “Everyone is so into what they’re doing, and they don’t want to be in a mall. They’re very proud of where they are.”

Over the past few decades, some establishments have left, like JJ French Pastry and Bistro; some have opened, like Kaimuki Superette; and others, like the Crack Seed Store, have remained strong. The Public Pet, Kaimuki Superette, Brew’d, and Golden Hawaii Barbershop have all arrived on the avenue since 2014. Although these specialty businesses are undeniably Instagrammable, they’re also quintessentially, and proudly, local. Stocked with locally made brands or products, these businesses want to be in Kaimukī not for tourists or foot traffic, but because their owners love the neighborhood, and Hawai‘i.

“Kaimukī is still a family neighborhood,” said Grant Fukuda, owner of Golden Hawaii Barbershop. Fukuda grew up near Wai‘alae Avenue in Pālolo and remembers his childhood days noshing on saimin at Tanouye’s and catching the latest surf films at now-defunct Queen’s Theater. “We love that on a Friday night you can see three generations of a family going out for a mellow dinner,” he said. “We wanted a neighborhood barbershop for the local community, where young students to our Pālolo grandpas could feel comfortable. Our shop pays homage to the old Hawai‘i we love, so to be in a neighborhood that still has elements of old Hawai‘i was important to us.”

To maintain Kaimukī’s own down-to-earth and local vibe, a group of businesses and folks who have pure love for the neighborhood have created a force as unique as Kaimukī itself. You may know it by the hashtag #KeepItKaimuki, a movement Lee started with his partner Matthew Guevara on Instagram in 2017. “The inspiration for Keep It Kaimukī was to really pump up the neighborhood and celebrate this new wave of small-business owners establishing themselves,” Lee said. “I saw what was happening in neighborhoods like Chinatown, Kailua, and Kaka‘ako, each with its own vibe. I knew that Kaimukī was unique with its laid-back energy, charming details, and urban connections.”

Now you see the phrase on T-shirts, tote bags, and stickers in storefront windows. Keep It Kaimukī organizes neighborhood events—such as street-art painting and Small Business Saturdays—to bring exposure to local businesses. Many of these events take place on Wai‘alae Avenue, which Lee calls “the drumbeat of the Kaimukī area.”

Business owners like Schwartz love Keep It Kaimukī for bringing the neighborhood together. “It’s so inclusive, and no one is threatened by anyone else,” she said. “Everyone is like, ‘We’re all a part of it, we’re as supportive as we can be of our neighbors.’”