“Serino’s Kihei” at Azeka Mall in Soft Opening

By David Kvasnicka

The ultra-rich Avocado Feta Burger ($13) with salad. Maui Now photo.

The owners of “Serino’s Pizza” in Waikiki have commenced operations at their second location, this time on Maui.

Dana and Christian Serino say the “Serino’s Kihei” location at the Azeka Mall (makai side) should be a more ideal spot than their tourist-driven Waikiki location, which has prohibitively high rent. The Serinos say that with this new location, catering to residents in the area will be the priority.

Serino’s new Kihei location. Maui Now photo.

The Kihei location will function as a bar/restaurant, unlike the Waikiki location which is simply a pizzeria. The two locations’ menus also appear to be have significant differences.

As of now, a few weeks into their soft-opening, the Serinos are still working out some kinks.

On a recent visit by Maui Now, patrons and staff said to expect a longer wait than usual for food, but that things would speed up as Serino’s got its processes fine-tuned.

Serino bartender, Beau Ste. Marie. Maui Now photo.

The kama’aina discount rate is currently 10% in line with the “standard on Oahu” but Dana says that this might be raised to Maui’s more common standard of 20%.

The Serinos also floated an idea with staff to bring in live music – possibly hip-hop – and turn the venue into a night club for the late crowd only. That’s still being decided.

Burgers and sandwiches range from $10-$13 while pizzas are $12-$25. Drinks run at $4.50-$6 for beer and $9-$11 for cocktails. However, prices may be subject to change, say staff members.