New Kona Safeway Location Set to Open Next Month

The new Safeway location at the newly developed Niumalu Marketplace in Kailua-Kona is set to open on Dec. 16.

The current store, located at 75-1027 Henry St., will close when the doors open at the new spot just down the road at 75-971 Henry St., which will also have an 18-pump gas station.

The store opens at 8 a.m. Scheduled store hours are 5 a.m. to 11 a.m.

A Safeway store manager told Big Island Now that all employees from the current store will transfer to the new location. Seventy-five additional people were hired and the company is planning to bring on more employees.

Safeway will remain a tenant at its location above Walmart until the lease ends. The manager didn’t know when that was or what new retailer might come in their place.

Niumalu Marketplace is a 180,000-square-foot shopping center located adjacent to Lanihau Center. Ground broke for the new development in June 2018. The project is estimated to be a $95 million investment in West Hawai‘i.

In addition to Safeway, Niumalu Marketplace will feature retail stores, restaurants and entertainment in a collection of 14 buildings on 20 acres with parking for over 750 cars.