Shimogawa Scoops

A hotel could be in the works near the University of Hawaii Manoa campus in Honolulu, which would be the first of its kind in the area. Public records show that a Kamehameha Schools development executive has filed public documents this week for the long-planned redevelopment of Puck’s Alley, which includes a 180-room hotel.  Kamehameha Schools, the state’s largest private landowner, owns Puck’s Alley and other nearby properties, bounded by South King Street and University Avenue. Other proposed redevelopment plans of Puck’s Alley include some 23,000-square-feet of commercial space and about 34,000-square-feet of restaurant space, as well as multi-family residential units.  Plans for adjacent parcels include more redevelopment of existing buildings into new retail businesses and restaurants.  Kamehameha has had several plans to redevelop this area of Moiliili during the last several decades, although nothing has made it to the development finish line just yet.

Raising Cane’s and its famous chicken fingers will be opening another location in Hawaii, this time in the state’s tourism mecca of Waikiki, public records show. The popular fast-food restaurant is opening in the former Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake space at the second level food court at the Royal Hawaiian Center. The Panda Restaurant Group is the Hawaii franchisee for both Uncle Tetsu and Raising Cane’s. This was Uncle Tetsu’s first location in the United States. Raising Cane’s has been on an expansion tear by quickly opening several locations in Hawaii.  Counting its Waikiki eatery, it will have five spots in Hawaii. Thus far, all are located or opening on Oahu at Hawaii Kai, Mililani, Ala Moana Center in Honolulu and its original location on King Street near University of Hawaii Manoa.  It was only a matter of time before Raising Cane’s  found its Waikiki location. It’s sure to be one of its more popular locations because of its popularity with Mainland travelers....

  Former Major League Baseball MVP Jeff Kent has purchased an oceanfront Hawaii estate on Oahu’s eastern coast, public records show. The 2000 National League MVP second baseman with the San Francisco Giants paid $4.5 million for the 14,250-square-foot estate that includes a 2,805-square-foot four-bedroom, five-bathroom home and a guest house. The pristine Waimanalo property has a total assessed value of about $3.4 million, according to tax records. It is located not too far away from the property that is reportedly being built for former President Barack Obama and his close friend Marty Nesbitt, a Chicago private equity firm executive. Kent, a five-time All-Star and all-time leader in home runs among second basemen, also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Purve donut shop, one of the most popular local donut shops in Hawaii, is opening at the Kahala Mkt. by Foodland-anchored Kuono marketplace in East Oahu, public records show. The new 1,200-square-foot shop is located next to Territorial Savings Bank at the new shopping center that’s owned by Kamehameha Schools and across from Kahala Mall. Purve, which has an original location in the Ala Moana area on Kona Street, serves donuts fresh-to-order including original flavors as Unicorn Butt Sneeze, Sunburnt Haole and O Face. Purve will be a great addition to the 40,000-square-foot Kuono Marketplace, joining such well-known tenants as Drybar, Lanikai Juice, Beer Lab HI and Daiichi Ramen. 

Matthew McConaughey has purchased a one-acre estate at the ultra-luxury Kukio Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii that encompasses sweeping ocean views for $7.8 million, public records show. The mega-superstar actor, who is known for his prominent roles in such popular films as “A Time To Kill,” “The Wedding Planner” and “Dallas Buyers Club,” closed on his Hawaii real estate purchase earlier this month. The Kona-Kohala Coast property on the west side of the Big Island, which is known as the Kaupulehu Residence, includes a six-bedroom, six-bathroom home that has an impressive 66-foot-wide infinity pool. Kukio, which is known as one of the most luxurious exclusive master-planned communities in Hawaii, is home to some of the world’s wealthiest and well-known individuals. McConaughey certainly fits in well at Kukio, and was recently in Hawaii this past summer with his wife, Camila Alves, where they may have been scoping properties to buy in the state. Despite the pandemic, the Hawaii real e...

What was one of the biggest real estate sales listings in Hawaii’s history has now apparently quietly fizzled away. In late 2017, a Hawaii affiliate of Sotheby’s International Realty announced via national publications that it was listing for sale a major portion of a Hawaiian Island. The 55,000 acres of Molokai Ranch was listed for $260 million about three years ago, and since then, the listing has been taken down, likely signaling that the owners have decided to go in a different direction.  The ranch, a major part of the “Friendly Isle,” is primarily engaged in cattle ranching and utilities operations, and once was home to a popular hotel that has not reopened.  The potential sale would’ve rivaled the sale of 98% of the island of Lanai, which was purchased by billionaire Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison, who paid $300 million for those properties several years ago.  The tech titan now lives on Lanai, and has major development plans in the works such as building a sub...

  Tiger Sugar, the hugely popular Taiwan-based boba tea chain that is also known for its ice cream treats, is expanding to Hawaii with a new location in Downtown Honolulu, Shimogawa Scoops has learned. Tiger Sugar recently filed a building permit to open at the Nuuanu Square retail center at 1365 Nuuanu Ave., which also includes Papa John’s Pizza and Nuuanu Okazu-ya. The popular company is also known for its boba ice cream bars that is a version of its signature beverage in which boba is included into its ice cream bars. While there are many boba tea shops in Hawaii, the popularity in this tasty drink has not gone down, with new entrance into the market still happening on a recent basis. Tiger Milk will face some stiff competition from the likes of well-established Hawaii chains such as Teapresso, Friend Café (Top Tea) and Cowcow’s Tea.