Mālama Market Opening This Month in Pāhoa

The new Mālama Market Pāhoa will open at Puna Kai Shopping Center on the final day of March.

The largest Mālama Market in the state at 35,000 square feet, the locally-owned business in 3x the size of its previous location and is situated just down the road from the former site.

“The Pāhoa community has been so good to us, and we are grateful to our loyal customers for not only supporting Mālama Market over the past 16 years but for helping us outgrow our current store,” said Mike Yamashiro, Mālama Market Pāhoa Store Manager. “We can’t think of a better way to say ‘mahalo’ than with a beautiful, warm, welcoming store with a wider array of the offerings our customers have told us they would love to buy right here in their neighborhood. This is a store for the Pāhoa community and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in.”

Mālama Market Pāhoa will provide 60 new jobs for Hawai‘i Island residents, according to a company press release, bringing the total number of store employees to 130. All employees from the previous location will be transitioning to the new store.

A highlight of the store’s décor will be a large mural celebrating Pāhoa painted by students from the Hawai´i Academy of Arts & Science in Pāhoa, led by art teacher Mr. Shelby Smith.

There will be new offerings in every department — from meat to seafood, produce, deli and bakery, and more — along with traditional options.

Highlights of the new store include:

• A large selection of hot, prepared food, featuring local favorites like Bi Bim Bap Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Pork Chops, Braised Korean Chicken and new offerings including Lechon Style Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Szechuan Shrimp and Laksa Seafood Curry.
• Housemade, pre-packaged okazu-ya favorites such as ahi patties, cone sushi, ahi belly musubi, fried mackerel, and pork hash patties.
• Grab-and-go carts with huli and char siu chicken, and Southeast Asia-style “hawker packs” featuring Thai and Vietnamese-inspired foods.
• A sixteen-foot, poke station with approximately 40 different varieties of freshly made poke featuring ahi, tako, salmon, crab and more.
• The aptly named “Anytime Bar” featuring juice, coffee and espresso, plus beer and wine on tap by the glass or growler. Customers will be able to sit and enjoy or may take their made-to-order, non-alcoholic beverages to go.
• An expanded, diverse offering of natural food and products.
• Gourmet wine and specialty food items, plus a standalone island filled with an expanded variety of specialty cheese and pre-packaged charcuterie.
• A brand new hardware and garden “store within a store” for do it yourself, or DIY fun, general home repair needs, and items to fuel your inner gardener — plus an expanded selection of lei, arrangements, potted plants and cut flowers.

Mālama Market Pāhoa has served the community since March 2005. It is one of five Mālama Market stores in Hawai‘i and one of three on Hawai‘i Island. The other stores are located in Ocean View and Honoka‘a on Hawai‘i Island, and Makakilo and Haleiwa on O‘ahu. Mālama Market is owned by The Kalama Beach Corporation, one of several retail entities of the Sullivan Family of Companies.

Mālama Market Pāhoa will officially open its doors at 10 am on March 31 following a private blessing ceremony. The store will be open daily from 6 am to 9 pm. Everyone entering the store will be required to wear a face mask and practice social distancing.

Additional details will be announced soon.