puna kai maybe in 2021?

[macuu222]

Still waiting for Popeye's Chicken. I don't believe they've even started building the insides yet. Makes me wonder if they've changed their mind.

[terracore]

I went today. It's definitely an improvement. I thought the prices were better than Safeway and you don't have to agree for them to sell your data in order to get the lowest price.

I was disappointed in the gourmet meats/cheese selection, I don't think it was any larger than their previous location. There were a few new additions but I think Safeway is better.

There was plenty of parking, but none near the store, but that is an effect of the way the mall is laid out and the fact there is a gigantic cell phone tower fenced off right next to the store where parking should be. There also weren't any carts. Employees were literally following people out to their cars to get them back.

I couldn't really check out the beer / wine bar thing because it was full but the people in there looked to be having a good time. It was smaller than I was expecting.

Much bigger aisles so a lot less cramped.

I forgot to check out the home improvement section, and the lack of any signs over the aisles was weird so I didn't know where to look for it. Did they just not arrive yet, or is it like costco where one is expected to wander aimlessly to find what they are looking for? I didn't have a lot of time to wander around looking this trip.

I did a quick skim by the hot food area, not my type of fare but it looked better than your "average" supermarket deli both options and quality. I think a self-serve setup similar to Whole Foods would work a lot better because the setup at Malama has a lot of people standing and waiting/blocking the area.

I won't miss the old store. I went at about 2pm and as mentioned it was busy enough there weren't any carts. I'll prefer exploring it more when it's no longer the New Pahoa Disneyland. Judging from posts on FB, people are driving from Keaau and further to check it out.

[Rob Tucker]

Also, the parking lot is WAY too small.

Unpossible! There are zoning requirements, so clearly the parking lot must be adequate! County is never wrong!

I looked into the parking  requirements a year or so ago.  Near as I could tell the developer provided the precise minimum number of parking spaces by code.

[kalakoa]

a self-serve setup similar to Whole Foods

The old pre-COVID days aren't coming back.

the precise minimum number of parking spaces by code

This is exactly the problem with "minimum requirements" -- that's exactly what you get. Small spaces, too; not everyone drives a Honda Civic, but that's what will fit.

[randomq]

Maybe the spread out parking will encourage people to check out the smaller stores. Or maybe it will encourage people to abandon carts far from the Malama, ensuring cart collector jobs! ?

On the mainland we had a few chains with carts that would only come apart with a quarter placed in a slot. Kids (ok, me and my friends) would make enough money fetching far flung carts (and getting the quarters back) to buy all our snacks.

[Obie]

a self-serve setup similar to Whole Foods

The old pre-COVID days aren't coming back.

the precise minimum number of parking spaces by code

This is exactly the problem with "minimum requirements" -- that's exactly what you get. Small spaces, too; not everyone drives a Honda Civic, but that's what will fit.

Have you been there ?

The parking spaces are fine.

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwA...L-hwjW0WFY&v=95dgkoUCZKM&feature=youtu.be

[My 2 cents]

To me it seems a bit odd to have a bar inside a grocery store, but.....

Bars like to serve salty pupus to make people thirsty so they will drink more. Maybe it's the reverse of that. I would expect that a beer or two is likely to increase impulse buying and loosen up the purse strings.

Interesting strategy.

[kalakoa]

The parking spaces are fine.

My car barely fits, but it isn't a problem (yet) because there are plenty of empty spaces. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[Obie]

"My car barely fits"

Maybe it's time to trade that 59 Caddy for something more modern.

[kalakoa]

Buick Grand National, actually. Keeping it until there's a viable electric pickup truck.