Jonell Kaohelauli‘i’s worries were put to rest Friday morning. “At 9:30, they were smiling and opened their doors like clockwork,” said Kaohelauli‘i, Kukui Grove’s marketing director. “All week, the crew has been working to get the store up to speed,
Jonell Kaohelauli‘i’s worries were put to rest Friday morning.
“At 9:30, they were smiling and opened their doors like clockwork,” said Kaohelauli‘i, Kukui Grove’s marketing director. “All week, the crew has been working to get the store up to speed, and with the opening, the public will have a week to preview the shop before the grand opening celebration on Nov. 11.”
But that is only the tip of the excitement iceberg being served up at the mall.
Kaohelauli‘i said following Meyvn’s grand opening celebration on the 11th, Underground, located next to the Bread and Deli Connection, will celebrate its grand opening on Nov. 17 and 18. This shop opened its doors several weeks ago.
For Meyvn, the Kukui Grove shop offers an opportunity to expand on its offerings of skateboarding items and fashion.
“We have more parking here,” said Troy Gall, one of the three crew members. “Meyvn offers a full line of skateboarding items for beginners up to the hardcore skaters. The fashion items are all familiar to the core skaters and they will recognize the brands.”
As he worked to finish applying gripping tape to a customer’s blank board, shoppers from Los Angeles were surprised this was the store’s first day in the mall. Another visiting couple commented on the lower pricing of an Element blank.
“Affordable,” Gall said. “We aim to keep things affordable.”
With the opening of the Kukui Grove store, Meyvn has closed the doors to its former location on Rice and Umi streets.
The opening of Meyvn comes on the heels of a successful Halloween promotion that saw hundreds of youngsters and their parents brave showers to strut their Halloween finery before an audience of tenants who returned the favor by offering treats to the young celebrants.
In addition to Meyvn, Santa’s Pen opened in one of the kiosks Wednesday, Kaohelauli‘i said. Operated by Diane Masumura and her sister Wendy Santo, the latest kiosk opening brings the number of operating kiosks to six with another scheduled to open Nov. 20.
Kaohelauli‘i said Santa’s Pen offers personalized Christmas decorations as its primary line, but there are other gift items as well.
“We stumbled across the manufacturer of the decorations,” Masumura said while unpacking more of the boxes containing decorations. “And we were really lucky because my sister and I were thinking of something to do with the kiosk and this lady came along. She was considering opening something on Kaua‘i and we said, ‘We were it!’ ”
In addition to Santa’s Pen, Masumura also opened up The Calendar Club, a seasonal store offering a full range of calendars and games. Chelsey Camat is the manager for that store that will offer holiday shoppers another choice for their holiday shopping needs.
From the doorway of The Calendar Club, a Lids sign announces its arrival on the mall.
“They’re recruiting Kaua‘i people right now,” Kaohelauli‘i said. “Construction is taking place right now and they’re hoping to open in time for the holidays.”
Lids is located next to Coldstone Creamery.
In addition to Lids, Kaohelauli‘i said the 5th Gospel Bookstore is also under construction and plans to open in time for the holidays. They are located next to Kay’s Jewelry.
Between the opening and the holiday sales, Kaohelauli‘i also announced the smoke-free status of Kukui Grove.
This coincides with the implementation of a new smoking control law that will take effect Nov. 16.
“All of the mall’s interior concourses as well as the food court area near center stage will be no smoking areas,” Kaohelauli‘i said. “There are a few questionable entrances where smoking will also be prohibited, but as of Nov. 16, the only smoking areas will be in the parking lot.”
Kaohelauli‘i said this smoke-free program will be implemented with the appearance of the Kaua‘i American Cancer Society on Nov. 17. In addition to explaining the new smoke-free stance of the mall, the ACS people will also be on hand as part of the Great American Smokeout program.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
