Kakaako Kitchen Closing its Doors

We live in Paradise and as the seasons change we are so blessed that the weather doesn't. Though, a different kind of change is taking place in Kakaako right now, specifically Ward Village where the Texas based developer is developing one of the most dynamic masterplanned communities Hawaii may ever see. Brand new high-rise condominiums come up every year welcoming hundreds of new residents to the blossoming neighborhood. Howard Hughes' end game is to create a complete walkable community where future residents never have to leave. 

Achieving this goal is no simple task and a large part of that is providing new commercial spaces for tenants to flourish. Unfortunately this comes at a cost to the local business and restaurants that have been here over the years, many of them were doing business in Kakaako well before Howard Hughes came to town. 

In the past year we've seen Via Gelato close its doors with both Pier 1 and Kakaako Kitchen closing shop in early 2020. Via Gelato and Pier 1 may not be very dear to our hearts but Kakaako Kitchen has been doing business in that location for over 25 years. Perhaps it's a sign of the times or perhaps Howard Hughes wants to change things up bringing in new flavors and new ideas into an evolving space. 

I love Kakaako and I think the future is bright for the neighborhood. My only fear is that Ward Village may lose touch with the local people of Hawaii.