Business Monday: Childhood friends created Seaweed Snack Shop, selling curated gifts, souvenirs in Hilo

In 2022, Martha Duerr returned home to Hilo after seven years on the mainland working in fashion design.

Inspired by her Big Island hometown, she and her childhood friend Stephanie Tait created a plan to open a shop that would celebrate creativity, childhood nostalgia and community. The result was the Seaweed Snack Shop, a curated collection of vibrant gifts, playful souvenirs and artisan snacks.

“I named the shop after seaweed, because for me, it is very nostalgic and every time I ate it on the mainland, I thought of Hilo,” Duerr said. “It represents the meeting of land and sea and is a reflection of growing up on a pali in Hawaiʻi.”

While the idea began in 2022, Duerr and Tait didn’t fully pursue it until they found the “perfect space” and signed a lease at 263 Keawe St., which is tucked away in downtown Hilo

It took them only six weeks to open the Seaweed Snack Shop, and just in time for the April 2025 Merrie Monarch Festival, the acclaimed hula competition that draws people from around the world.

“I really love this block of Keawe Street,” Tait said. “There are incredible business owners and everyone has been kind and welcoming to us.”

Duerr and Tait sell art and handmade gifts from 51 Hawaiʻi-based artists as well as independent makers they have met throughout their lives. The store features handmade jewelry, cards uniquely designed by local artists, ceramics, books and home goods.

“It has been so cool to know so many talented people in my life and a great experience being able to get their art out there,” Duerr said. “One of the jewelry makers is a talented woman I met in California, and her work is a favorite for some shoppers.”

Tait added: “Some people don’t sell their art anywhere else. Their work is unique, colorful, kitschy, and a lot of them are chosen based on the things that remind us of Hilo.”

One of the main goals behind Seaweed Snack Shop is hosting specific artist workshops, such as jewelry beading, painting and sips, holiday wreath making and many more requested by local artists.

“When I moved back to Hilo, I had a hard time finding the artist community, especially because I was working remotely,” Duerr said. “Part of opening is really diving into Hawaiʻi’s art scene now and creating a community space for all kinds of artists.”

On Thursday, a resident talked about opening a gallery with Duerr and Tait as she shopped with her daughter.

“We really do get so many artists that want to talk and just learn more about what we are doing,” Duerr said. “I think people just enjoy seeing some different gifts and things they may not know they wanted or that inspire creativity within them.”

Duerr plans to continue uplifting local artists through engaging workshops and sharing others’ artwork and creative endeavors.

“Every item in the shop is selected to honor Hilo and the place we’re from, and every workshop we host is something we really support,” Duerr said. “We are proud of how it has gone so far and we hope to continue offering more opportunities for beginning and advanced artists.”