Business

Starting today, the taprooms in Hilo and Kona will offer the Smash Burger — Earth Day edition — while supplies last.

In a lifestyle article published in “Esquire” magazine on April 9, Kona Village, located nine miles north of Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, was the only Hawai‘i hotel named among the 41 best new hotels in North America and Europe for 2024.

Matsuyama Food and Fuel opened on Dec. 27. This new store, the family’s flagship location, will serve visitors coming and going from the Big Island and a stop for last-minute beach snacks and food.

Throughout the past nearly 15 years, owner Rhonda Nichols and her staff have overcome every challenge they faced — including a global pandemic — to provide a safe, family friendly and community driven place that feels more like your own kitchen than a restaurant.

“By integrating Kanu Hawai‘i’s system and their network of nonprofit organizations throughout the state, we are seamlessly connecting visitors with even more opportunities to improve our home for future generations,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, HTA’s interim president and CEO.

A donation of $5 on Hawai‘i Island could provide three keiki-friendly meals for The Food Basket’s “We Got Your Back” keiki backpack program.

The stand evolved from current owner Lana Haasenritter’s grandmother Rebecca Tim Sing’s endeavors in the early 1940s selling lei made with flowers from her own Keaukaha yard, draped over her arms, to Lurline Cruise Line passengers as they disembarked at the Port of Hilo. She passed on her talents to her children and grandchildren, who continue to teach the next generation the art of making lei.

Xavier Machado and his father Chad opened JP’s Pizza in Kaumakani in early 2023. They now serve a large base of loyal customers.

Owners of Hawaiian B Natural Farms and have been growing tomatoes hydroponically in Hāmākua for the past 16 years. Last fall, they decided to switch gears to grow the edible Roselle Hibiscus.

In 2021, Maya Ratcliff opened her first Hawai‘i Fluid Art studio, located in Waikōloa at Queens’ Marketplace.

Ten Kaʻū community residents were recently celebrated at a hō‘ike in Pāhala for completing “Ka‘ū Hoa Pili ‘Āina,” a four-month, ‘āina-based education training program as part of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s (HTA) destination management efforts and Hawai‘i Island Community-Based Action Stewardship Program. “The Ka‘ū community voiced the need to better manage tourism impacts on the […]

Think golf meets cosmic bowling and long-range yard darts. The Big Island’s newest attraction combines the challenge of hitting glow-in-the-dark golf balls and striking lighted targets from 40 to about 120 yards out with a party-like atmosphere complete with a disco light show and music.

The UHERO report lists several key takeaways for the upcoming year.

So far, Hawaiian Naturist Park is the only naturalist B&B on the Big Island certified by the American Association for Nude Recreation.

Alaska reached the deal in December to purchase Hawaiian Airlines for approximately $1.9 billion.

The 1,000-acre cacao and coffee farm nestled about 5 miles above Hilo, just a 10 minute drive up Aumauulu Road from downtown, on the gentle slopes of Mauna Kea on the Big Island, invites guests to experience the entire process from tree to tasty treat.

The Big Island’s newest and only indoor miniature golf course is now open to play through, featuring 18 holes inspired by different games.

Keiki and Kope officially opened in mid-December. Business has been good as it’s also filling a void where parents can take their children to after-school programs and drop-off childcare.

Matsuyama Food and Fuel opened on Dec. 27. A grand opening with a blessing is scheduled for sometime in February.

Denise Westbrook owns and operates the Big Island Social Dance Club, which she opened last May. The upcoming grand opening is Jan. 20.