The company also runs three mobile trucks and a trailer, but this marks its only brick-and-mortar location.
Popular acai brand HI Cravings has opened a new retail storefront in Windward Oahu, in a 900-square-foot space in Kaneohe.
HI Cravings Windward opened Friday at 45-950 Kamehameha Highway and is the latest addition to the HI Cravings brand, which also includes a trailer stationed in Honolulu, at 747 Queen St. in front of Anytime Fitness, as well as three mobile trucks that travel to various parts of the island.
The brand is known for its acai bowls with a wide array of toppings — including inventive options like li hing mui, mochi and cookie dough, as well as more standard offerings like fruit, bee pollen and granola. In addition to acai, HI Cravings also makes bowls with other base blends such as dragon fruit sorbet and coconut sorbet.
Owner Jessica Kamana‘o started the company — initially called Jess Da Best Acai Bowls — out of her home in Kapolei in 2013, and quickly gained a following so strong that she’d often have lines around the block.
As Pacific Business News previously reported, the company has gone through various iterations over the years. At one time, it had two retail locations, but it shuttered those a few years ago to shift its focus to mobile operations. HI Cravings Windward is the company’s only brick-and-mortar location currently.
Kamana‘o told PBN on Monday that the menu at the new location is similar to the existing trailer and trucks. But, she noted, with the additional space, the new store will be able to produce a higher volume of custom orders and catering trays.
Kamana‘o said that the new location is “really close to our heart” because she and her husband, Kalani, have teamed up with two longtime HI Cravings customers — Raia Kawa‘a and her mother, Robin Raquedan-Kawa‘a — to open the store as business partners.
“She and her mom have been customers of ours for years — since back when we were selling out of the house. It’s a super cool story,” Kamana‘o said. “We have pictures of her eating our bowls when she was really young.
“It’s a cool thing because we’re able to empower and lead the next generation of young women business owners. … Being able to help coach her through it is really awesome.”
HI Cravings Windward has a total of about six or seven employees, Kamana‘o said, noting that they are still hiring additional workers at the storefront, as well as for the trucks and trailer.
The store is open Thursday through Sunday, but Kamana‘o said she hopes to extend hours eventually.
In addition to the new storefront, there could be more growth for the brand in the future. Kamana‘o said they are looking to open another storefront in Kapolei in the next year or so, and she said that she aims to focus more on catering and events this year.
Plus, HI Cravings has its franchise license, and Kamana‘o said they have received “a lot of inquires to open on the Mainland.” While the company does not have any franchise plans in the works yet, she said it is something they are considering if the right opportunity were to arise.