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Big & Small Business Memories

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  • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

    Thanks for the welcome, Pomai and Pzarquon!

    Like most of the people in this thread, I fondly remember
    places like Arakawa's ("If you don't know what you're looking for, you'll find it at Arakawa's!") or Alex Drive in (fantastic watermellon freezes, on Kapahulu).

    I went to Kuhio Grill while at UH, shopped at GEM, Holiday Mart, and KRess; dined at Cocos, Spindrifter, The Bistro (on Kapiolani), Bobby McGees, Tahitian Lanai, King's Bakery, Pearl City Tavern, Lyn's Delicatessen...ooooooh. I stay hungry!

    I'm curious about why people name their companies as they do. It drives my wife crazy. I'm always asking waiters and managers how their company was named.

    For instance, we were at Victoria Inn in Kaimuki and I wanted to know who Victoria was. Victoria Ward? Queen Victoria of England was very close to Hawaii's royalty. It could also have been Princess Victoria Kaiulani or Queen Victoria Kamamalu.

    No, they told, me. It was a friend of the founder in the 1960s. Nobody famous.

    Times Grill, as Pzarquon asks, is not related to the coffee shop in Kailua, but was opened by the Teruya brothers before they opened Times Supermarket.

    The Companies We Keep was a joy to research, as you might imagine. It gave me an excuse to interview people like Goro Arakawa, who still lives in Waipahu. I think he's 82 now.

    It opened doors to talk to people like Lex Brodie (now 91, mostly living in Hanalei), and Bob Sevey (Olympia, Washington).

    It gave me the courage to approach Roy Disney (Walt's nephew, who owned KITV in the 1960s) when we happened to be in the same room in Hollywood. He contradicted what Bob Sevey had told me, by the way, that he (Roy) had changed the call letters of the TV station from KHVH to KITV.

    Disney said it was already KITV when he bought it. It left me with a dilemma because I couldn't change the quote that Sevey gave me, even though it is not factually correct, without permission.

    I had several purposes in writing the book (alas, money is not one of them for a local book), but one was preserving these people's stories. Lex Brodie, has led a fascinating life, but never wrote a bio. I had no idea he worked for Dole and ran the Chevron Station at Windward City SC.

    He told me how his grandfather came to Kauai, where Lex was born; how he went to Roosevelt HS; joined the Outrigger CC ($25/year) when it was next to the Royal Hawaiian.

    Lex was a beach boy and his first business was in front of the Royal, giving tourists outrigger canoe rides with Sam Kahanamoku (early 1930s).

    I hope my book, in some small way, preserves some of these people's stories for succeeding generations.

    Aloha,

    Bob Sigall

    Comment


    • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

      Originally posted by Surfingfarmboy
      Yes...Kaimuki Sundries is still around. At least if you are thinking about the one on Waialae Avenue.
      yeah das da one

      Originally posted by Surfingfarmboy
      The place is kind of funny...it appears that their main selling focus are those plastic-wrapped packs of between two to five out-of-date girlie magazines...
      oh so you wen check da date on dem ah? gotta keep dat collection up to date?

      Comment


      • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

        Originally posted by stumphurple
        yeah das da one



        oh so you wen check da date on dem ah? gotta keep dat collection up to date?
        Oh deah...I set myself up big time for that one, yeah?

        Comment


        • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

          Originally posted by Surfingfarmboy
          - or those football "Gold Sheets" (Tips and odds sheets for upcoming football games).
          We bettors need all the edge we can get during football season.

          Comment


          • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

            Okay, I small kine forget but I no had one ono kine Hawaiian kau-kau place in Kalihi that had broke da mouth grinds. I think if I can remember was called Helena`s. I could be wrong with the name, but they had good Hawaiian food.
            When I moved to Maui only had the Aloha Restaurant in Kahului that had the Hawaiian grinds. Too bad they closed down, plenty local`s miss the place.
            SAD SEE ALL THE OLD MOM&POP STORES GO DOWN IN HISTORY......
            bin dea-dunn dat.

            Comment


            • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

              Originally posted by oggboy
              Okay, I small kine forget but I no had one ono kine Hawaiian kau-kau place in Kalihi that had broke da mouth grinds. I think if I can remember was called Helena`s. I could be wrong with the name, but they had good Hawaiian food.
              When I moved to Maui only had the Aloha Restaurant in Kahului that had the Hawaiian grinds. Too bad they closed down, plenty local`s miss the place.
              SAD SEE ALL THE OLD MOM&POP STORES GO DOWN IN HISTORY......
              Hui OggBoy: Long time no see! Hau'oli makahiki hou kakou!
              Yeah, no moa Aloha Restaurant anymore, but now get DA KITCHEN! I oni been to da one in Kihei, but I heard get one by da airport too. You go Cupie's? Not as good as before wen had da original owners, but still get ono kine grinds, yeah? When I on Maui, I oni go L&L when I desperate...odda wise when I like Hawaiian grines I go Da Kitchen or Cupie's. Haven't tried da stuff at Treats N Sweets (da old Dairy Queen down by da old Ooka's) but looks like dey get plate lunch too.

              Miulang
              "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

              Comment


              • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                Oggboy mentioned Helena's Hawaiian Food in Kalihi. They've moved from King Street to School Street (Diamond Head of Haughtailing).

                I ate there this week. Helen Chock is 88 and has had to cut back on her hours...from 16 to 14 a day! (Tuesday-Friday)

                Her restaurant's 60th Anniversary is this year. She began in 1946. Her pipikaula shortribs are devine! I think they're the best in town.

                Helen named her place Helena's at her husband's suggestion - to make it sound more Hawaiian.

                She won a James Beard restaurant award in 2001 and had no idea what it was. She had to call someone at the newspaper to ask if it was a legitimate thing.

                Even then, she said she would not have gone to New York to pick up the award if her daughter had not gone with her.

                Hawaii's other winners were: Roy Yamaguchi, Chef Mavro and Alan Wong. She's in elite company.

                Helena's is not fast food. She tallies each check on an adding machine AND by hand AND doublechecks take out orders to make sure everything is there. My order is always accurate. I've never gotten home only to find out something's missing.
                It's always right and always ono.


                By the way Oggboy, do you, or others know how the Maui airport came to be designated OGG? It's an interesting story.

                Comment


                • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                  Originally posted by oggboy
                  Okay, I small kine forget but I no had one ono kine Hawaiian kau-kau place in Kalihi that had broke da mouth grinds. I think if I can remember was called Helena`s. I could be wrong with the name, but they had good Hawaiian food.
                  When I moved to Maui only had the Aloha Restaurant in Kahului that had the Hawaiian grinds. Too bad they closed down, plenty local`s miss the place.
                  SAD SEE ALL THE OLD MOM&POP STORES GO DOWN IN HISTORY......
                  Helena's is now where the new Honolulu Ford is. Leong's Hawaiian Food & Cafe also in Kalihi closed.
                  Last edited by na alii; January 6, 2006, 09:28 PM.

                  Comment


                  • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                    Originally posted by Creative-1

                    By the way Oggboy, do you, or others know how the Maui airport came to be designated OGG? It's an interesting story.
                    It was named after Bertram Hogg, one of the pioneering aviators who opened up the Pacific air routes.

                    Before ground was broken for OGG in 1951, Maui was using the airstrip at NASKA (Naval Air Station, Kahului), which was left over from the war. I remember my dad trundling me and my bro in the car on Sunday and going over to NASKA to watch the planes take off and land (can you tell that back then, there was very little to do on Maui? The terminal at OGG was just a quonset hut back then). The old airstrip in Puunene (actually on the way to Kihei) is now being used for drag races.

                    Miulang
                    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                    Comment


                    • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                      While on the subject of Maui airports, Kapalua Airport (JHM) should be mentioned.

                      This West Maui airport got its designation from the late John Henry Magoon, former CEO and owner of Hawaiian Airlines. When the airport first opened, it was operated privately by Hawaiian Airlines as the sole operator, using their Dash-7 turboprop aircraft.
                      sigpic The Tasty Island

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                      • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                        HI MIULANG

                        HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!!!!!

                        Long time no talk story, holiday season ehh!!!!!!

                        Anyway, yeah no moa the good kine grinds on Maui like hanabudda day`s.

                        Every eatery not like b-4 day`s. Now day`s talk about foreign kine.....

                        CAN!!!!!!!

                        Miss da local flavor we grew up with.... Now it`s all about making a quick buck....
                        R.I.P. (NODA MARKET, GOLDEN JADE, HEW`S STORE, WING-SING, ALOHA RESTAURANT, OOKA`S AND AH-FOOK`S.....

                        REMEMBER DA DAY`S
                        bin dea-dunn dat.

                        Comment


                        • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                          I'm so glad you mentioned this. I actually registered here just to ask this question: Does anyone know why it was named the "Hygienic Store"? It's been such a landmark but no one I've asked so far knows why it was named that

                          Comment


                          • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                            Originally posted by Adri

                            I'm so glad you mentioned this. I actually registered here just to ask this question: Does anyone know why it was named the "Hygienic Store"? It's been such a landmark but no one I've asked so far knows why it was named that
                            This is taken from Creative-1's post in another thread:

                            7. Which two companies were named for dairies that preceded them? One’s a store in Kahaluu and the other a restaurant chain.

                            So far, you've got half of it. Hygienic Dairy did have a store, and it's all that's left.

                            Comment


                            • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                              Thanks lurkah! I guess Hygienic Dairy is better than an Unhygienic one

                              Comment


                              • Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                                Originally posted by na alii
                                Helena's is now where the new Honolulu Ford is. Leong's Hawaiian Food & Cafe also in Kalihi closed.
                                Helena's Hawaiian Foods is located on 1240 N. School Street. Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

                                Ph: (808) 845-4044

                                Across the Old Ayalas. Right next to Mitsuba Okazuya. Yep, Aunty Helena still can tally that old machine. Her grandson can cook and dish out the food like her too. That short-rib Pipikaula is the best in the State!

                                Auntie Lynn
                                Last edited by 1stwahine; March 14, 2006, 01:47 PM.
                                Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
                                Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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