Business Monday: 3 local braddahs opening Big Island’s first country sports bar

After three years of dedication, patience and a clear vision, three local braddahs are set to open the Big Island’s first country sports bar.

Ikaika Marzo, Kaeo Jones and Andrew Dunn have been working on the bar modeled after an old-town Pāhoa saloon since February 2023, when they signed an agreement with the management team of Puna Kai Shopping Center in Pāhoa.

Marzo’s Country Sports Bar and Grill is set to open Thursday, with the grand opening on Saturday.

“This is a long time coming, and I know a lot of people are ready for us to open,” Jones said. “It is something different for this area, and we have a lot of positive ideas that can finally become reality.”

Over the last month, the trio have worked daily to perfect every detail, including the menu, stage and sound system, and the innovative beer tap system.

The bar features a stage it will use nightly for a variety of entertainment, including bands, musicians, open mic, karaoke and line dancing with live music.

“One of the reasons we wanted to open this bar was to create a hub for the many musicians and music lovers living in Puna,” Marzo said. “From high school students to seniors, there are incredibly talented people living here who deserve a place to go.”

Photographs of local musicians who have become Puna legends over the years are featured on the wall behind the stage, with room for more.

To test the audio equipment, musicians have been coming by to perform small sound checks for friends and family to see how the stage feels.

“The small sound check pop-ups have been very useful for us,” Marzo said. “We want to perfect the music quality for all of our customers, and it is crucial for us to have the musicians’ feedback.”

Jones added: “I think the live music is the biggest draw for people who are excited for us to open. The common sentiment from people in Puna is that they want to be able to enjoy themselves while being closer to home.”

Along with the stage for live entertainment, Marzo’s Country Sports Bar and Grill will be showing sports on the televisions mounted at every angle.

The trio also are excited for patrons to experience the Bottoms Up Beer Tap System.

“We have the most innovative tap system in Hawaiʻi and are the only ones using it in the state,” Marzo said. “It still amazes me how it works. You can sit there and just watch the beer pour from the bottom of the cup upwards.”

According to the Bottoms Up website, each cup has a hole in the bottom with a metal ring around it, sealed with a magnet. The cup is placed onto the nozzle of the tap, which lifts the magnet, and the dispenser automatically fills the cup to a pre-programmed amount, leaving the bartender hands-free for a moment.

“The bartenders who have been trained are very excited to use the tap for all 14 of our kegs,” Jones said. “Not only does it help with efficiency for our employees, it also eliminates any wasted beer that is guaranteed to happen with a normal tap.”

Dunn has spent the last few weeks creating the menu and training the cooks who will be making the signature items and specials.

Patrons can expect entrées such as a pork chop with rice and potato salad, hamburger steak made from scratch, Rocky Mountain oysters, menpachi ramen and the infamous Cowboy Loco Moco.

The concept of opening a country bar on the Big Island began in 2018 during a trip to Las Vegas.

“Andrew and I saw that there were a lot of country bars, and we had a great time,” Marzo said. “We talked about how there was nothing like that on this island. 2018 was when ‘Yellowstone’ the TV show became popular, and I think the country style became a bit of a trend in Hawaiʻi and in western America in general.”

Marzo and Dunn, both from Kalapana in lower Puna, had to put the idea on hold when the 2018 Kīlauea eruption began in the Lower East Rift Zone.

Marzo was one of the first to see the fissure erupt in Leilani Estates and helped evacuate people that day. He became widely recognized for his quick action in organizing community relief efforts through Puʻuhonua o Puna, which provided hot meals, supplies and information to displaced residents.

Following his efforts, community members supported Marzo’s run for Hawaiʻi County Mayor against Mitch Roth, who ultimately won the seat.

During his campaign, Marzo criticized the slow-moving and complex permitting process in Hawaiʻi County, stating it was a challenge for business owners and homeowners, and it hindered economic success in the county.

This issue became more apparent for Marzo while working to open the country sports bar.

“The permitting process was our biggest hurdle,” Jones said. “We thought of the space as a basic remodel, but when the Building Division inspected everything, they said we needed to apply for more permits based on the work we did.”

According to a social media post from Marzo, the bar was ready to open in September 2024, but Hawaiʻi County required them to apply for a demolition permit and a permit for a gas line for the kitchen.

Marzo said the permitting process only became smooth after Mayor Kimo Alameda’s administration took over.

“Mayor Kimo Alameda and his team were a huge stepping stone for us,” Marzo said. “They understood why it is so important for us to get up and running for the community. A lot of local business owners struggle with the process. If you can’t open, that is a loss of revenue and could shutter a business before it begins.”

In August 2025, Hawaiʻi County reported that the average duration of the permit review and approval process was reduced by 66%, bringing the wait time down from five months to less than two months.

“This was one of my first priorities as mayor because a more efficient permitting process can only help our local economy and our residents,” Alameda said. “Attainable permits help create more job opportunities, which are sorely needed in our rural communities.”

Marzo’s Country Sports Bar and Grill has hired a little more than 30 employees, 95% of whom live within Puna.

Dunn said some employees have been commuting to West Hawaiʻi for work at restaurants and bars for years and are excited about the opportunity to make good money closer to home.

“If career servers, bartenders and cooks can make money closer to home, that will save them so much time,” Dunn said. “Less time in the car is automatically going to increase your quality of life.”

Jones added that opening the bar will also alleviate traffic on Kea‘au-Pāhoa Road, which has been a consistent issue for Puna residents.

“Every person who has a job here is one less car on the road going to Hilo,” Jones said. “If we can inspire more businesses and services to open here, it will help our already overwhelmed infrastructure.”

On Sunday, Marzo’s Country Sports Bar and Grill announced its official opening lineup. For up-to-date information on performances and events each week, follow the Facebook or Instagram pages.

Thursday, March 5

• Wingit’s 4-6 p.m.
• Glen Nihipali Country Band 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Line Dancing 9-11 p.m.

Friday, March 6

• Moke Boy Kameʻaloha and Ikaika Kalani 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Kalapana Awa Band 9-11 p.m.

Saturday, March 7

• Blessing 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Noenoe Dunn 1:30-3:30 p.m.
• Mea Hou 4-6 p.m.
• Heua 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Keaiwa 9-11 p.m.

“This has been a journey for three local braddahs with no experience running a restaurant, and we are proud to open and become a hub for everyone of all ages,” Marzo said. “People need a social place to go, and we are excited to become a hub for the people of Puna to enjoy on their afternoons and evenings.”

Marzo’s Country Sports Bar and Grill is located in the Puna Kai Shopping Center next to Malama Market at 15-2714 Pahoa Village Road. It will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sundays to Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.