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In other words: County can (and does) make things more difficult than it's worth.
This is exactly how I ended up not starting a business here (something that's both needed by the community and not available at Walmart/Depot or through Amazon). I can't afford the expense of a "correctly zoned" location, nor can I justify the cost and uncertainty of the Special Use process.
Fortunately, I figured this out before spending any money...
Well I once thought that we were going to get a Costco in Keauu, That was say about 4 or 5 years ago. Thought that our very own Zendo Kern was the gentleman who was trying to make that happen. Any way all that land next to the bank along the highway of the Keauu bypass is where I thought it was going. The fact that to many of us spend $50 in gas just to drive over to Kona to shop at Costco does not help. P.S Kalakoa I have often thought about trying a business here as well. I also second your opinion on why I haven't. In fact I am glad that I haven't for most of my business ideas were sure to fail. Considering how fast things are changing out here, and the use of the computer (Amazon does not help) it has become harder and harder to open a successful business. Can we name a few successful businesses that have opened their doors in Pahoa in the last 5 years?. The future may be in mobile business such as these lunch wagons, and fix anything skills that come to your home. Unless you can afford the up front money for a franchise like Burger king, or Mcdonalds. You cant order your big mack over the internet yet.
any idea what the process is like for getting a food truck license there ?
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Support your local businesses please. If we all supported each other we wouldn't have to resort to the big box economic structure which sucks the life blood out of communities. The big box perpetuates keeping the class structure intact, poor stay poor, rich stay rich. If you support a brighter future you would not give your money to these businesses. They are not to be trusted. They do not have the betterment of humanity and our earth in mind. In fact, they have the opposite in mind. Their priority is profit.
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When I first moved to Hawaii (Maui) I could not believe how much the local business Hopaco charged for paper and other office supplies. When I asked, the answer was always that shipping expenses made everything cost double and triple what I had paid on the mainland. When I moved to Big Island, the prices at HPM reflected the same discrepancy between mainland pricing and local.
Then Office Max and Home Depot opened, and Hopaco and HPM dropped their prices to match those of the big box stores. They didn't go out of business at those lower prices, which seems to indicate that those high shipping charges did not create the high prices they charged us for so many years.
Business is business, and almost every business owner looks to maximize their profit, some a little more, some a lot more.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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quote:
Originally posted by gypsy69
Well I once thought that we were going to get a Costco in Keauu, That was say about 4 or 5 years ago. Thought that our very own Zendo Kern was the gentleman who was trying to make that happen. Any way all that land next to the bank along the highway of the Keauu bypass is where I thought it was going. The fact that to many of us spend $50 in gas just to drive over to Kona to shop at Costco does not help. P.S Kalakoa I have often thought about trying a business here as well. I also second your opinion on why I haven't. In fact I am glad that I haven't for most of my business ideas were sure to fail. Considering how fast things are changing out here, and the use of the computer (Amazon does not help) it has become harder and harder to open a successful business. Can we name a few successful businesses that have opened their doors in Pahoa in the last 5 years?. The future may be in mobile business such as these lunch wagons, and fix anything skills that come to your home. Unless you can afford the up front money for a franchise like Burger king, or Mcdonalds. You cant order your big mack over the internet yet.
Yeah but with shipping costs, some places not even shipping to Hawaii at all and lack of high speed internet, there has to be a nitch market for physical shopping.
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Further off-topic ... all that "land next to the bank along the highway in Keaau" is zoned commercial, with a paved road and a hefty HELCO feed ...
... but there's no County water available -- which limits the usefulness enough that no developer will bother, despite the "proper zoning" and paved access.
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Further off-topic ... all that "land next to the bank along the highway in Keaau" is zoned commercial, with a paved road and a hefty HELCO feed ...
just as well add...working "STOP LIGHT"...is drilling a water well an option?
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A lot of factors play into a final decision whether Costco builds in East Hawaii. At the start of the construction boom in the mid 2000's, Costco was negotiating for one of the land leases where Safeway & Target are now located. The population of the east side was increasing, and many of the people moving here were potential Costco customers. As the land lease negotiations continued, other companies became interested in that property, for the same reasons Costco wanted to locate in Hilo. While that was going on, the cost of construction continued to increase to match the higher prices that homes and buildings were then selling at. There came a point when the price of the land lease and the cost of construction increased beyond what Costco's cost analysis and population projections showed would make a store viable for our area.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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I can once remember the same argument going on about bringing Walmart from Kona to Hilo, and everyone said Walmart would fail in Hilo. Now Walmart in Hilo is one of their highest money making stores in the islands.
As far as Puna folk not wanting our side to turn into Kona, it can't we have the rain, they don't and most tourists would rather spend their vacation on a sunny beach instead of a rainforest of jungle. But people to support Costco, no problem it would also outdo the Kona store in a heartbeat, just like Walmart did.
