Sharing the Love: Small Hawaiʻi Businesses to Support
We know that supporting small businesses is SO important to sustain the vibrant local communities we live in–which is why we are sharing our absolute favorites that you can support whether you’re on the island, or simply anticipating your return.
Photo: Courtesy of Aloha de Mele
“When you support a small business, you’re supporting a dream”
When we think about all of the little things that make Hawaiʻi special, what immediately comes to mind are the local businesses that we couldn’t imagine the community without. A handcrafted haku lei for birthday celebrations, a warm malassada from our local bakery, a few of our favorite local dishes from aunties and uncles who have perfected the recipes for decades–we know that what makes Hawaiʻi special is the love and aloha that is shared through our local business owners, and we think that making a conscious decision to support them is crucial, now more than ever.
Whether through your purchases or simply sharing on social media, here are a few of our favorite local businesses that we adore and would love to support during these times.
Local Artisans
Photo: Courtesy of Jules + Gem Hawaii
With candles, car fresheners, and room sprays made from the sweetest scents of the islands, Jules + Gem has us smitten for their cute packaging and all-natural ingredients list. Order anything in their Guava Nectar scent and you’ll understand our obsession.
For tropical flower enthusiasts, we love that the Aloha de Mele prints can be a way for these flowers to be a permanent part of your home decor.
Photo: Courtesy of Yireh
We love that Yireh dresses are everything we need for an island dress: breezy, beautiful, and ethically-made.
Photo: Courtesy of Ginger 13
We miss browsing through this eclectic little Chinatown gem; although if you’re looking for a beautiful stone necklace, soothing incense, or a unique print to complete your home art collection, GINGER 13 is offering free domestic shipping for now.
Inspired by the flora and fauna of the islands, we have recently been loving the printed masks from this local company. If you’re stumped on a little way to share a little love from afar, we think that a handcrafted mask could be a cute (and practical) gift for anyone.
Photo: Courtesy of Mahina Made
We love the āina-inspired graphic tees for the whole family, and cute printed wraps for babies, too!
Described as “fine art inspired by vintage Hawaiian quilts,” we envision these prints as a sweet tribute to Hawaiʻi in any home art collection.
Photo: Courtesy of Valia Honolulu
Good boutiques are sometimes hard to find, and we can confidently say that youʻll always find something chic, unique, and locally-inspired at this Chinatown gem. Check out their inventory on their online store!
From sweet cards to handmade houseplant sacks, we think that everything at Owens & Co can be an artful and thoughtful gift for a special person in your life, or just for you.
Photo: Courtesy of Red Pineapple
A Ward Village gem that is notorious for cute local candles, chocolate, and seemingly everything in between. We do miss browsing for hours here, but for now you can look at their store online and have anything that catches your eye shipped to you, whether you’re on island or on the mainland!
Eateries We Couldn’t Live Without
Photo: Courtesy of Aliʻi Coffee
A purple haze and lox bagel is our go-to morning pick-me-up that we 1000% recommend.
If your at-home date night needs a little sprucing up, you can now order their incredible housemade pastas and cocktails online.
Photo: Courtesy of The Pig & the Lady
From their summer rolls to their vegan pho, we fell in love with this Vietnamese-inspired eatery at first bite. If you don’t live in town, you can now order online and meet them at one of their meet-up and pick-up locations around the island.
Because sometimes, an authentic Hawaiian plate lunch is all you want post meal-plan week.
Photo: Courtesy of The Nook
We miss this cute little brunch place, but you can still order their delicious Mochiko Chicken and Waffles online!
We love a quality pizza with fresh ingredients, and J Dolans never lets us down. Also, if you can’t seem to figure out a take-out meal that the whole family agrees on, we know that pizza will always be a home run.
Photo: Courtesy of Poke Stop
If there’s anything a local knows, it’s that all poke is not created equal. When we have a poke craving, this is our go-to.
Breadshop
There’s nothing better than freshly baked bread, and we think that after having a loaf from here, you’ll never go back to just an ol’ store-bought loaf.
Little Pick-Me-Ups We All Need
Photo: Courtesy of Pipeline Bakery
Whether you need a sugary malassada or a scoop of ice cream after a long WFM day, Pipeline Bakery is our go-to for a pick me up that always satisfies our sweet tooth. And believe it or not, they do offer nationwide shipping for their malassadas, cake bombs, and monster cookies!
A cozy Kaimuki hub. We miss working at Coffee Talk, but for now we will sip on their special Pumpkin Spice Nitro brew at home until they open their doors.
Photo: Courtesy of Paiko
Need. More. Houseplants. Paiko is open and the perfect place to find a new member for your plant family. We love that this Kakaʻako staple reminds us how much a little greenery lifts your spirits every time we visit.
It’s described as a “feel good” store for a reason. Abundant with self-care elixirs like local essential oils, scents, and scrubs, we know that you’ll find something that you didn’t know you needed here.
Services We Can’t Live Without
Photo: Courtesy of Rusty & Blue Co.
Handwritten details always will have our heart, and Rusty & Blue Co. makes adding those details as easy as can be.
Balayage, foliage, and everything in between. We swear by Makena’s incredible hair coloring talent that will make up for all those months spent in quarantine you went without refreshing your color.
Photo: Courtesy of Mikiʻao Nail Bar
With natural, non-toxic nail products and an incredible nail color palette, we absolutely LOVE that Mikiʻao has our paws looking fabulous and effortlessly chic every single time.
When it comes to brows, we have to say that Dana always leaves us looking on point!
Photo: Courtesy of Mojo Barbershop
If you want to treat your man to a self-care day (or he hasn’t taken the hint to go get a haircut), surprise him with a specialty haircut from Mojos.
For those whispy, full lash sets that leave your heart (and eyes) fluttering, look no further than Ansley from The Unbound Beauty (a.k.a. our lash girl!).