An iconic Lahaina eatery will be reopening in a new Front Street location. Before the 2023 wildfire, Kimo's Restaurant was a Lahaina landmark for almost 50 years, located on the oceanfront.
Design and development of the new building is still underway, but restaurant owners have confirmed they’ve begun the process to open again in the next several years.
Jackie Reed, CEO of T S Restaurants, Kimo's parent company, said they’ve signed a letter of intent for a different Front Street spot.
“With all of the uncertainty around the makai side of Front Street, we're not able to go back to where we were right away, and we wanted to get Kimo’s back to Lahaina, back to its home, as soon as possible,” Reed told HPR. “And we were able to find a new partnership with Mousa Hassan and Kent Untermann. They're redeveloping the old Chan Wa Building, which is a historic building in Lahaina, and we're proud to be their anchor tenant.”
Reed called Untermann and Hassan “longtime Hawaiʻi business leaders, trusted friends and people who care deeply about Lahaina.”
“Kimo's has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Hassan said in a press release. “Like so many people in Hawaiʻi, I’ve spent a lifetime making memories there. Helping bring Kimo’s back to Front Street is an incredible honor, and I hope it becomes another step toward restoring the heart of Lahaina.”
Kimo’s was the first T S Restaurants location, founded in 1977. Now, the family-owned company operates four restaurants on Maui, and others across Hawaiʻi and California, including Duke's Waikiki, Leilani’s on the Beach, Hula Grill Kaʻanapali and Duke's Maui.
Reed said they've been focused on supporting nearly 300 of their Maui employees who lost their homes in the wildfire.
Now, they’re looking forward to bringing back the historic Lahaina restaurant as another step in the community’s recovery.
“It's a new chapter for Kimo's, and we're grateful to be a part of Lahaina, and we're grateful to bring Kimo’s back for the community,” said Reed. “We've missed being there, and we're excited to be able to welcome people through our doors again.”
Design plans and an opening date are still pending, but Reed said she hopes they’ll be serving the community again in two to three years.
