Maui Business

In response to the priorities identified, the Maui County Council set aside $320,000 last year for the grants. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on March 3, 2023.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii welcomes three new physicians to its Kihei Clinic, Wailuku Medical Office and Kona Medical Office. Doctors Deidrie Jo Colter, Douglas Stevens, and Benjamin Tautges join the optometry and physiatry departments, and will serve Kaiser Permanente’s 266,000+ members in Hawaii.

The nonprofit Maui Youth & Family Services is the recipient of a $4,000 donation from Ledcor Maui LP, a division of Ledcor Group. The gift comes as part of the Ledcor Group’s 75th anniversary celebration.

Maui’s January unemployment rate dropped to 3.1% in January 2023, down from 3.3% in December and dow 3.6% from a year ago.

Maui Youth & Family Services hosts a car wash fundraiser at the ʻOhana Fuels location at 85 S. Wākea Avenue in Kahului, on Saturday, March 18, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The cost of the car wash is a suggested donation of $10 per car.

Relief may be in sight for Hawai’i at-home food prices, gas, new and used cars — and even rent, according to the latest economic forecast released today by University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization.

Hawaiʻi Bankers Association announced today that eight of its members across the state of Hawaiʻi are joining efforts to alert the public about increased phishing scams and fraudulent activity targeting customers’ personal and banking information.

De Fries said the the limited budget is cause for “extreme concern.” He said that in addition to programs that the HTA supports in communities markets around the world, its funds are also used to support cultural events, festivals, and sporting events.

Battery Bonus pays monthly bill credits and a one-time cash incentive to residential and commercial customers on O‘ahu and Maui who add energy storage to an existing or new rooftop solar system. The program requires customers to use and/or export electricity stored in the battery daily on a firm two-hour schedule during the evening peak.

The inaugural Western Regional Native Hawaiian Convention will be held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino and will feature discussions on cultural perpetuation, housing and tourism, as well as evening hula showcases and other Hawaiian entertainment.

Hawai’i State Legislature is considering measures SB 304 and HB 1162 to establish a new green fee. Money generated would then go toward conservation work across the state. Next for the proposal is a state Senate floor vote Tuesday. If it gets the green light, the plan moves to the state House.

The most recent Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Survey released Friday surveyed visitors from the U.S. West, U.S. East, Canada, Japan, Oceania, Korea, and China who visited Hawai‘i from October to December 2022. More than 60% of visitors from all markets indicated they were “very likely” to return to Hawai‘i in the next five years, a news release from state DBEDT said.

A worker at one of Maui’s largest private employers, Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, filed a class-action lawsuit Friday alleging owners of the luxury hotel giant misclassified hundreds of spa and salon workers, groundskeepers, facilities maintenance personnel and window washers as independent contractors in a “fraudulent scheme” to avoid pay and benefits at two of its landmark hotels, the Grand Wailea and Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria.

Marc Togashi, Hawaiʻi Tourism Agency’s vice president of finance, will be leaving the organization Feb. 28 to assume a leadership position at the state Department of Human Resources Development, according to a news release.

Maui County last month had the largest vacation rental supply and average daily rate of all four counties, according to a state report released Thursday. 

Pā’ia Bay Coffee & Bar is holding a two-day job fair starting today. Workers for a variety of positions are being sought. Interested candidates for bartender, hostesses, line and prep cooks, baristas, servers, bussers may attend the fair from 1 to 5 p.m. today or from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the restaurant’s new location, 120 Hana Highway.

Maui County hotels led the state in the latest Hotel Performance Report for January 2023, with RevPAR of $429, ADR of $635, and occupancy of 67.6%.

Hawaiian Electric announced the promotion of Shayna (Coleon) Decker to director of government and community affairs for Maui County.

Hawai’i’s first Sonic restaurant opened today in Kahului to crowds of people, a performance by Sonic owner and award-winning Maui musician Glenn Awong of Maoli, a debut of the chain’s Hawai’i-only teriyaki burger — and new local celebrity Frank Barbosa. Barbosa, who’s from Maui, gained popularity in 2020 when he was first in line at Jollibee’s opening in Kahului. Since then, he’s been first in line at subsequent fast-food openings Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s and now Sonic. “I’m 4-0,” Barbosa said.

The leader of Maui’s new manapua shop — Happy Opu — takes the snack very seriously. After all, the savory or sweet treat is one of the main comfort foods to come from Hawai’i’s ethnic and cultural melting pot.