Business Monday: Family-operated food truck boosts health with smoothies made from aloe they grow

On Thursday afternoon, students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo sat down for lunch at the dining hall with some making a pit stop for a treat at the food truck parked on campus.

“We started parking here for a couple events and eventually worked out an agreement where we could park here regularly, which has been a blessing as a mobile shop,” said Crystal Mukai, owner of Aloe Kine Smoothies. “I think it’s an easy thing for students to grab as they walk to different classes and I think it gives them a boost of energy.”

Mukai, 55, has been an entrepreneur for a few years by selling handmade jewelry online and at markets. But to establish more stable work in 2022, she opened the smoothie food truck.

When she needs more workers, Mukai enlists the help of her husband Glen and son Kai.

“Luckily, the family has been happy to work together and, luckily, making smoothies is a lot less stressful than a traditional kitchen,” Crystal Mukai said. “It’s also nice to let my son take over for the day if I need a break, or if we’re working an event.”

While smoothies are quite a common commodity in Hilo, what makes Aloe Kine Smoothies a little more special is their use of the aloe plant, which they grow at their home.

“We wondered what we were going to do with all of it,” Mukai said. “My husband was actually the one who started making it into smoothies and we thought it was a wonderful way to use our local produce.”

The Aloe Kine smoothies and smoothie bowls contain 1.5 ounces of the home grown aloe, which completely blends into the taste of the smoothie.

“Some people are unsure about aloe, but there’s no taste and there are so many benefits to ingesting aloe regularly,” Crystal Mukai said. “It boosts the immune system and specifically it helps the digestive system. It can heal wounds and burns. It can treat constipation. It can slow down aging skin and lower blood sugar.”

She always wanted to find a way to intake more healthy foods in her life and found that smoothies were a fun way to eat more fruit. Along with their aloe, all the fruits are grown locally. If they run out of an ingredient or can’t find it, then they just take it off the menu until it can be replenished.

“I think what I love is that the aloe makes you physically healthier and mentally sharper,” Crystal Mukai said. “It gives me a boost in the afternoon similar to a coffee or something, but sometimes I do still need the coffee.”

To purchase the van and get the equipment necessary to start the business, Crystal Mukai used some of her savings and got a business loan.

“After we got the van and set it up, it took about 3 to 4 months to get the inspection and then the Department of Health permits we needed,” Mukai said. “Everything happened quickly after I started planning, which was exciting but also nerve-racking.”

While they often offer specials when they have a different fruit in season or think of a unique recipe, their main smoothies are:

• Kona Sunset: Strawberry, mango, pineapple, banana, orange juice, orange sherbet and aloe
• Koa Loa: Strawberry, banana, apple juice, aloe
• Mango Sunrise: Mango, strawberry, peah, mango juice, pineapple sherbet, aloe
• Hilo Breeze: Blueberry, strawberry, banana, pineapply juice, pineapple sherbet, aloe
• Tropical Twist: Pineapple, mango, coconut water, coconut puree, pineapple sherbet and aloe
• Guavalicious: Mango, strawberry, banana, guava juice, aloe
• Kalapana: Strawberyy, peaches, passionfruit puree, orange sherbet, mango juice and aloe

Along with the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Aloe Kine Smoothies also operates in front of S. Tokunaga Store, 619 Manono Street, in Hilo from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday each week. They have been able to park there since they opened.

“One of the more logistically difficult things about having a food truck is the fact that there is no permanent place to park, so I am so grateful to S. Tokunaga Store for still letting us park in front and giving us a place to go in the first place,” Crystal Mukai said. “A more stable schedule also opens up more time for us to bring the truck to an event and be part of an exciting day.”

The last event Aloe Kine Smoothies attended was the 2026 Mud Bog at the Hilo Oval Track in August, which proved to be a fun time even though they didn’t see many races.

“I really like to bring the truck to events because it puts you in a different environment and atmosphere, said Kai Mukai, 31. “At the oval track, everyone is having a fun time, the vibes are good. The turn out was amazing and all our customers were saying it was action.”

Along with their service, dad and son also try to bring fresh fish to the truck when they get a big catch that morning to make incredibly fresh poke.

“It definitely takes a killer fishing day, so we’re not doing poke as much as my dad and I would like to do,” Kai Mukai said.

While there is a lot of competition for smoothies around in Hilo, a lot of the owners have met and lift each others’ business up personally and over social media, Crystal Mukai said.

She recently teamed up with owners of Cupcakes, Boom!, Connect Cafe, Double Pour Hawaiʻi, Doughlicious Sweets and Big Island Foodie and Traveler for a video on Instagram in which they all give each other praise.

“I think it’s a much better way to have relationships with other business owners,” Crystal Mukai said. “It’s kind of a great way to just get to know each other instead of any avoidance. It’s hard enough to own a business without competition.

“But, being in the food truck game for a few years, I have really come to love all the amazing supporters we have on the Big Island. Customers are just really genuine and I hope that continues for all of us local food vendors out there.”

For those interested in knowing when and where Aloe Kine Smoothies is open, check their Instagram for updates.