Bubbie-licious
A worker crafts frozen treats at the headquarters of Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream & Desserts. Sadly, the original store makai of UH Manoa is no more, but you can still buy Bubbie's famous mochi ice cream and other desserts at…
Small Business
Still Rolling Along after 105 Years
"Riding bikes is fun, and going to Eki’s makes me feel like a kid again!” raves Gene Christmas (yes, that’s his real last name). The 59-year-old quality assurance inspector at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard has bought more than 20 bicycles…
Japan is a Large Growth Market for Hawaii Entrepreneurs
Eric Rose can’t forget the day a year and a half ago when a group of Japanese businessmen walked into Morning Glass, his trendy coffee house in Manoa, and suggested taking the concept to Japan. “They came in out of…
Super Eats
Hard-working Angel Le Tran goes back and forth between Kaimuki and Chinatown nearly everyday to provide her loyal customers with the food of her homeland “Sometimes I’ve gone there multiple times a day. I love their food that much,” Brian…
Farmers Find Paradise
Life and business partners Scott Buske and Megan Collins have adventurous souls that led them to an overgrown orchard on the Big Island and a whole series of tasty foods they are selling to locals and the world. “I always…
Nothing Ugly Here
Jeff and Karon Chang have come full circle. When they opened their first gallery in a former house along Kamehameha Highway in Kaneohe in 1996, the couple had three goals, recalls Karon, co-owner of Jeff Chang Pottery & Fine Crafts.…
Man Up
More men across Oahu are turning to upscale barbershops for an experience beyond the traditional in-and-out haircut, with two high-end shops recently opening in Honolulu and others expected to follow. Yes, you can still get a simple trim, but options…
“Magic” + Science = Fun
"Cosmic Kelly" Ferreira is an expert on kids. “Growing up on Maui, I was the oldest in a family of five, so I was more like a second mom to them,” she recalls. “And I was always an extrovert, not…
Your Friendly Neighborhood Drugstore
“It’s really like walking into someone’s home that you’ve been going to for a long time. Not like some other places where they just stare at you,” says Lester Peetz, a customer of The Pillbox Pharmacy for 24 years. “It’s…
All Work and No Job
There are a million stories in the white-collar gig economy. Let me introduce you to one. Alison Chock has two jobs: One is in retail, where she works nights at a boutique. Her other job is more unpredictable. The work…
Creativity: Hawaii's Next Big Export
How a public-private program called Creative Lab accelerates entrepreneurs in six creative areas: screenwriting, broadband, interactive media, fashion, producing and music While Hawaii is known worldwide for its rainbows, aloha spirit and beautiful weather, Georja Skinner hopes to add “creative…
Trees As Living Art
Don’t tell his wife, but Wayne Hu is in love with trees. “For me, to be able to trim trees is like Michael Jordan being able to play basketball. I just looove tree trimming. “Trees are supposed to be three…
LocalKineBiz: Healthier Meat for Molokai and Beyond
With consumers seeking healthier options, small producers like Molokai Livestock Cooperative are enjoying a spike in popularity. “We have seen an increase in consumer demand over the years,” says GM Jack Spruance, 62. “But marketing is not our biggest challenge, …
Ornate Gift Wrapping Is Part of the Present
Those who view gift wrapping as a superficial formality are missing a key message that creative packaging can project. “The attention spent on putting together a beautifully wrapped present means someone really cares about you,” says Shiho Masuda of Shiho…
Carving is in his Bones
Like his father and grandfather, Inoke "Male" Pomale is a master carver. He works with local cow bones, bison bones from Montana, and fossilized mammoth and whale bones from Alaska and Siberia. Inoke “Male” Pomale says he comes from at…
What's It Worth: Haunted Attractions
REAL BUSINESS NIGHTMARES are truly scary, but a Halloween nightmare can be a fun way for a business to reward customers and employees. That’s one reason companies hire Kevin Okada to stage private parties, events and attractions. “Everybody likes to…
The Art of Creating Tofu
Mao-Chi Tzeng approaches tofu-making as an art. “It’s like chefs preparing dishes,” explains the 66-year-old co-owner of Mrs. Cheng’s Soybean Products in Kalihi. “Same materials, same ingredients, but different chefs come out with different dishes. “I like fine art and…
Gecko's: Serving Comics Fans for 28 Years
“It's sensory overload. Eye candy for the geek,” enthuses Rusty Baily, 42, as he describes Gecko Books & Comics for newcomers to the local world of fantasy and fandom. “It’s very well-organized, but it’s got things everywhere. And it’s just disorganized…
What's it Worth: Commissioning a Portrait
IF YOU'RE LOOKING to record a moment in time, a photograph will do. But there’s nothing like a painting to capture a person uncharacterized by age or current fashion, says Kauai artist Isa Maria. “It’s a romantic, timeless version of yourself,”…
LocalKineBiz: Pae Thai
“I WANT TO make people feel at home here,” says Supreecha Sangthong, nicknamed “Dang,” co-owner of Pae Thai Restaurant in Makiki. “I’m happy to cook for them, and I want to personally make sure they’re satisfied. I’m not so concerned about…
LocalKineBiz: Keawe Adventures
Ex-Marine captain’s company, Keawe Adventures, struggled for four years until a concierge at the Halekulani gave him a chance. Now his business employs 12 people and focuses on small tours with six or seven visitors at a time. Makani Christensen…
Join Uncle Sam's Club
Over the past 17 years, more than 2,000 local products have found their way into military commissaries and exchanges, giving Hawaii companies new customers for items such as coffee, macadamia nuts, aloha wear, kim chee and perfume. Decades ago, commissaries…
What's it Worth? Building Elaborate Sand Sculptures
LEFT TO THE ELEMENTS AND CHILDREN, outdoor sand sculptures won’t survive more than a day or so, but professional sand sculptor Riki Inzano says part of their beauty is their fleeting existence. “It’s meant to be a temporary art form…
Signs of The Times
When Billy Ng told his former boss at Island Sign Service Inc. that he and his brother, Min, wanted to eventually buy the business, his boss didn’t think the two would succeed. “Imagine, we were two immigrant boys from Cambodia…