Mom-and-Pop Stores

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

the

That's the old Palama Theater where we used to go for the Saturday cartoons. The Palama fire station was just ewa of the school by Austin Lane. There were three theaters in the area, Kalihi Theater, Palama Theater, and Liliha Theater. and all had Saturday morning "cartoon clubs".

I think they had a small theater at Kam Shopping Center where KB Toys is now
as well.

KalihiBoy

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

What was that small store on the corner of Auahi and Coral? I think it was called Corner Liquor. Amazing store in the morning almost like a breakfast buffet! All local kine breakfast stuff to make bento's.

[Pomai]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

Here in Honolulu the only mom & pop that I used to go to regularly when I worked nearby was Tanabe's. They have good bentos over there. I still go once in a while to get a bento.

Here is a photo:



(from my BuzzNet site)

They are located next to the Buddhist place near McDonalds and HMSA on Keeaumoku St. Walmart is not so very far away either.

Oh man.. classic! I haven't been in that store for awhile, but I used to always go there exclusively for their Poke and absolutely perfect TRIANGLE MUSUBI!

Something about these type of nostalgic convenience stores just screams "local" all the way. The musubi and bento lunches mama-san probably spent hours preparing early in the morning. All the little nick-nacks that you probably wouldn't have given the time of day in a large supermarket suddenly look interesting and even bought on impulse. Love that!

Sadly, I must confess I've only given Sam's/Walmart my time-of-Koreamoku-day in recent time. Whack-whack for that. Tanabe's, I WILL return very soon. Thanks Mel for reminding me!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

What does being owned by immigrants have to do with drug paraphanaila? Isn't almost everyone an immigrant, or the issue of immigrants, in Hawaii? They work hard to get a better life for their kids, just like your grandparents probably did, too.

Tears ago, in Kailua, there was a store called 'Mescalito'...and one called 'Heads you Win'...both full of drug stuff. India Imports wasn't just batik fabrics, either.

I think when I say the word "Immigrant" I'm envisioning first generation or those who immigrated here. No we are not all immigrants, our ancestors are, we who are born and raised here are local.

So when I mention today's M&P stores are typically owned by immigrants, they typically are. Not so much the family store passed on thru the generations that were started by M&Ps.

And what does drug paraphanaila have to do with M&Ps? Well take a look the glass counters and what's behind them when buying your next carton of smokes. You'll see those small quarter-sized zip loc bags (used to hold crack), you see those small torch-butane lighters (used to heat it up), and in some bolder M&P's in Wahiawa you'll actually see those glass pipes.

That's what I mean when I said that.

[D'Alani]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

Isn't that near where the old Zamboanga Theater used to be on N. King St., about a block away from Tamashiro Market? Or am I way off? I remember there was also a fire station further Ewa on N. King by Kalihi St. just beyond Farrington High School.

the

That's the old Palama Theater where we used to go for the Saturday cartoons. The Palama fire station was just ewa of the school by Austin Lane. There were three theaters in the area, Kalihi Theater, Palama Theater, and Liliha Theater. and all had Saturday morning "cartoon clubs".

[kimo55]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

ok. tamales. mom and pop.
brings to mind
el mercado de laaa rrraaazzaaa.
roll the "R"
best kine tamales. fresh every other saturday.
Let her tellya about dat place on king st.

[1stwahine]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

Isn't that near where the old Zamboanga Theater used to be on N. King St., about a block away from Tamashiro Market? Or am I way off? I remember there was also a fire station further Ewa on N. King by Kalihi St. just beyond Farrington High School.

Yep, das the one. Right next to Kaiulani Elementary School. The Fire Station by Farrington is still there as well is still in use.

Zamboanga Theater is now a church and the front is a Latin/Spanish/Mexican Store where get all kinds of Products to make onolicious foods! They also sell fresh Homemade Tamales! Chicken and Beef.

Auntie Lynn

[lurkah]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

The King St. fire station across from Kaiulani Schoolo used to blow a whistle at 8 o'clock at night.

Isn't that near where the old Zamboanga Theater used to be on N. King St., about a block away from Tamashiro Market? Or am I way off? I remember there was also a fire station further Ewa on N. King by Kalihi St. just beyond Farrington High School.

[lurkah]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

Tanabe's makes excellent Laulaus! I come all the way from Kalihi/Palama to purchase them.

(Lurkah, you reading?)

When I was living in the round Holiday Village condo near Daiei I used to go to Tanabe's all the time for their ono bumbucha laulaus and poke, and other times I would go to S. Taniguchi Store on S. Beretania for their ono bentos of which my favorite used to be their brok' da mout' cold ginger chicken.

[1stwahine]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

The King St. fire station across from Kaiulani Schoolo used to blow a whistle at 8 o'clock at night. That was the signal for kids to be off the streets.

Are you from Palama?

Born and Raised. I went to Kaiulani, Kalakaua and McKinley!

I also was raised in Aala Area/Chinatown too! My parents owned serveral businesses.

Auntie Lynn

btw: The Fire Station still stands but now houses the Employment Training Center for Office and Computer Technology for Low to Middle Income Persons.

[mamapuleta]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

The King St. fire station across from Kaiulani Schoolo used to blow a whistle at 8 o'clock at night. That was the signal for kids to be off the streets.

Are you from Palama?

[1stwahine]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

Tanabe's makes excellent Laulaus! I come all the way from Kalihi/Palama to purchase them.

(Lurkah, you reading?)

Auntie Lynn

[mel]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

When I was growing up on the Big Island, I used to go to or remember several mom and pop stores in Honokaa on the Big Island. Long gone are the following:

Awong Store
Ujiki Store
Nakashima Store
Hasegawa Store - closed in 2004.

Still in business:

K.K. Store

TKS - was a smaller mom & pop called T. Kaneshiro Store, but greatly expanded to become the town's major market called TKS. Store relocated from original location to a bigger property on a hill with parking, shopping carts, etc. Still considered mom & pop to me because 1. i worked there for a short time and 2. used to know original owners. Here are some pictures:

TKS outside parking lot
Interior shot 1
Interior shot 2
TKS former location - now occupied by a small restaurant, gift shop.

Long ago T. Kaneshiro store also had a grocery delivery service. You could also "charge" your purchases without a credit card. They had these little bill things that you signed when you made a purchase and at the end of the month you'd get a paper bill in the mail and you paid it off directly to the store. That was discontinued in the late 1970s after the move/expansion.

Here in Honolulu the only mom & pop that I used to go to regularly when I worked nearby was Tanabe's. They have good bentos over there. I still go once in a while to get a bento.

Here is a photo:



(from my BuzzNet site)

They are located next to the Buddhist place near McDonalds and HMSA on Keeaumoku St. Walmart is not so very far away either.

[Kings House]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

I always try to patranize the mom-and-pop stores. Don't like warehouse shoping!!

[1stwahine]

Re: Mom-and-Pop Stores

There you go talking about food again. I remember had one small store (might still be there) on the corner of Waiakamilo Rd. and Colburn St. (other side of Boulevard Saimin) where I could buy those large chunks of real, dried abalone, fairly cheap too. Those were the days.

Yep! it's still there if you'e talking about the one next to Midas.

Hmmmm...Albalone. Cheap. I must go check it out. I love Albalone. Sliced thin on a bed of cabbage with shoyu and chile pepper or mustard.

And there's albalone soup too!

I hungry.

Back on topic. Fujii Store on N. King Street has been open over 60+ years. Of course the original owners were the Fujii Sisters. They sold it to the present owner almost twenty years ago. He has kept the name Fujii Store so everybody calls him "Fujii" although he is Korean.

Auntie Lynn