Business Monday: Hilo International Airport opens new café inside the terminal

A new café is now open at the Hilo International Airport terminal to serve travelers before takeoff or after landing.

Laniākea Café held their grand opening on Friday, and is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. The café is run by Sodexo Live!, a corporation that operates facilities and food services within airport lounges, convention centers, stadiums and cultural destinations in five countries.

The new restaurant takes the location of Uncle Miles Kitchen, which for 15 years was a local favorite for travelers looking to grab a snack and talk story before traveling.

In 2019, Uncle Miles Kitchen’s 10-year contract with the airport went up for bid and was eventually acquired by Sodexo Live!

The restaurant and lounge concession areas in the Hilo International Airport and the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport have been under contract with Volume Services Inc., doing business as Sodexo Live!, since March 10, 2023, said Russell Pang, public information officer for the state Department of Transportation.

“(Sodexo Live!) has been here for about three years and has been working with state Sen. Lorraine Inouye and the state to get plans approved,” said Jamie Powell, general manager of the Big Island airport food services for Sodexo Live! “After about four months of rehabilitation, we were ready to open, but it has been a long time coming.”

Laniākea Cafe is the only food-and-drink stand located in the terminal and outside the airport.

Laniākea Café includes an expanded food selection featuring an all-day breakfast menu, sweet and savory baked goods such as malasadas and danishes, fresh salads and sandwiches along with local favorites like homemade bean soup, chili, fried rice and spam musubi.

The beverage lineup has also widened due to a new espresso machine that can make lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and more for a full-service coffee counter. The bar will serve local coffee from Kona Brew and Koholā Lokahi, as well as specialty cocktails such as the holiday-themed drinks: the Pineapple Spiced Mule and the Mele Kalikimaka Punch.

“We are excited about this expanded menu that has been inspired by local favorites,” Powell said. “Now travelers can enjoy a local beer and a personal pizza, or a Menehune coffee and a breakfast sandwich at any time.

“We also wanted to offer an open, welcoming space that allowed groups of people like traveling teams, hula hālau, and big families to sit and talk together.”

Laniākea Café will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. or until the last departing flight.

“With the flexible closing hours, we can ensure that visitors and frequent flyers will have a place to get some food or something to drink before traveling,” Powell said. “They don’t have to worry that we will close, and they can come to the space to relax or kill some time before a flight.”

According to Powell, Sodexo Live! also will be opening a freestanding café that will be run by a local coffee vendor in Kona’s airport in the near future.

“With all funding that has gone toward improvements to the airport infrastructure, I am happy that we have also been able to partner with Sodexo to make travelers more comfortable when they land and depart from Hilo,” Inouye said. “Through private partnerships, the state is able to revitalize the terminal and create an efficient, warm experience for our traveling residents and visitors.”

According to the Department of Transportation Airports Division, the Hilo International Airport’s terminal infrastructure improvements, which are in the design phase, will include:

• Repair and replacement of structural beams and columns damaged by termites
• Roof and roof gutter repairs
• Carpet replacement on second level
• Drainage improvements fronting and within the Main Terminal
• Replacement of miscellaneous electrical equipment and infrastructure

For more information on the Hilo International Airport, visit the Airports Division website.