Shimogawa Scoops

Chick-fil-A, which recently announced plans to expand to Hawaii, may open its first location in an existing Burger King restaurant space along Beretania Street in Honolulu, according to public records. This week, Chick-fil-A filed a sewer connection application for the Burger King space, which was also on the market. “This is a great location for Chick-fil-A’s first Hawaii restaurant, as it’s located on a prime street in Honolulu that’s not too far from Downtown Honolulu and a couple of major hospitals, the Blasidell Center and the densely populated neighborhood of Makiki,” said Duane Shimogawa, real estate project manager for Honolulu’s Avalon Group. “Chick-fil-A’s entrance into the Hawaii market is long overdue and is one of several new restaurants or retailers to finally make the jump over the Pacific Ocean to open their first location in the Islands, which is a welcoming sight for both residents and visitors alike. Expect to see more Chick-fil-A locations sprout up across the ...

Shirokiya Holdings, which consists of popular restaurants and retail shops including Shirokiya Japan Village Walk, Vintage Cave Club and Vintage Cave Café, has struck a deal to lease a 3,045-square-foot warehouse space across Ala Moana Center in Honolulu. The company, owned by prominent Japanese businessman Takeshi Sekiguchi, is consolidating its numerous other storage spaces that houses its equipment, furniture and fixtures into this new space at 1388 Kapiolani Blvd. Avalon Commercial, a subsidiary of prominent Honolulu real estate firm Avalon Group, brokered the deal on behalf of both the landlord and tenant. “It’s a win-win situation for both the landlord and the tenant because Shirokiya needed a big warehouse space near Ala Moana Center, where its restaurants are located, and the landlord was looking for a high-credit tenant to lease its last remaining vacant space,” said Duane Shimogawa of Avalon, who completed the transaction on behalf of both parties. The history o...

Avalon Group LLC has created a new project sales team who is in charge of sales at its two upcoming Honolulu condominium projects – Hale Ka Lae at 7000 Hawaii Kai Drive in East Oahu and Sky Ala Moana along Kapiolani Boulevard across Ala Moana Center. The pre-registration process has begun for Hale Ka Lae, while the sales process for Sky Ala Moana is expected to start soon. Mark Berkowitz has been named Project Sales Manager, leading a newly-formed team of highly-experienced real estate professionals, including Rosalei Chinen, Marcel Chan, June Freundschuh, Laurie Oh and Jane Lee. Tim Lee, managing director of retail and international investor group at Avalon Commercial LLC, will lead the hotel and commercial sales. Lee has more than a decade of experience in real estate, having helped many foreign investors successfully navigate the state’s real estate environment. Berkowitz, comes with decades of real estate sales experience, including heading the sales team at a few ...

Move Happy, an international shipping, moving, storing, handling and distribution company for civilians and the military, broke ground on its new warehouse facility this week at Avalon Group’s Kapolei Business Park II in West Oahu at 603 Komohana St. Move Happy recently purchased its 1.78-acre property at Kapolei Business Park II, and has tapped Avalon Development Co. LLC to develop its new 35,000-square-foot facility. Construction on the project is expected to start this week with a completion date scheduled for Summer 2019. Ushijima Architects is the architect of the project, while Swinerton Builders is the general contractor. “Our goal is to provide services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of our customers,” Lior Oren, CEO of Move Happy, said. “As a result, our customers will reward us with profit and value creation, allowing our team members and the communities in which we live and work to prosper.” Move Happy parent company Guardian Moving & ...