Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in ...
[+] Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfire. AFP via Getty Images After the August 8th wildfire destroyed the town of Lahaina on Maui last year, the future was—and still is—bleak and unknown for many businesses. Many lost their entire infrastructures in the fire, and cannot begin to rebuild yet due to the on-going cleanup and various regulatory issues.
Even if they could, with insurance companies still battling it out , obtaining the finances to start something new is another huge hurdle for entrepreneurs. We’ve seen businesses that are more “mobile” have success in relocating over the past year. For example, Sail Maui, who operated out of Lahaina Harbor, was able to move its operations to Maʻalaea Harbor and resume tours in a matter of months.
Things are trickier for purely brick and mortar establishments, who need a home base on solid ground to conduct their operations. Hundreds of businesses are still in a holding pattern or have closed down completely since the fire. Given that reality, it's nice to celebrate a little success when we find it.
Last month, Koholā Brewery became one of the first businesses to successfully relocate and rise from the ashes, providing an uplifting tale in an otherwise discouraging environment. MORE FOR YOU iPhone 16 Release: Apple Confirms Special Event, On A Surprise New Date Trump Signals He May Skip ABC News Debate After Bashing Network Real Madrid Coach Ancelotti Fires Warning To Vinicius Jr. Though the brewery wasn’t able to rebuild in Lahaina, it has found a new home in South Maui in the town of Wailea, and managed to not only revive what it had, but improve and add on to its offerings.
Koholā Brewing's new location in Wailea in South Maui includes a restaurant. Koholā Brewing function loadConnatixScript(document) { if (!window.cnxel) { window.
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For a while, many assumed the brewery’s beers would simply disappear from local shelves, at least for a while. However, a series of successful and essential pivots ended up saving the day. Koholā, the Hawaiian name for the humpback whale, was able to revive its brew program within weeks thanks to a partnership with Kona Brewing, who agreed to contract brew Koholā’s recipes.
Not only did Kona begin producing Koholā’s core beers, the two breweries also teamed up on a collaboration beer, the Laulima Session IPA. “Laulima” in Hawaiian means “many hands” and refers to the idea that people who work together can accomplish more. After resuming production of its beer for distribution, the brewery was able to team up with a local chef , find funding, and launch a restaurant at their new location, something they did not have in Lahaina.
The new taproom and restaurant also has double the space as the original location. Surely, it’s sad to see a business have to relocate out of Lahaina. But, given all the challenges one faces to rebuild there, it’s encouraging to see local entrepreneurs make the best of what they have and, in this case, even elevate and improve its offerings.
Koholā Brewing is now located in the Wailea Village in South Maui. You can find its beers at locations throughout Maui, including grocery stores and restaurants ..
