HANALEI — Sugar, spice and everything nice. A feel-good combination of words one might be inclined to use after walking into two new businesses located on Aku Road in Hanalei. Brave enough to give the entrepreneurial world a go and
HANALEI — Sugar, spice and everything nice.
A feel-good combination of words one might be inclined to use after walking into two new businesses located on Aku Road in Hanalei.
Brave enough to give the entrepreneurial world a go and despite what economic naysayers might profess, Pink’s Creamery and Kaua‘i Nut Roasters have found success on an island where business is thought to be drying up.
Both shops offer products unique to the area, which is just one reason the owners say they have both had a favorable reception.
For instance, where else can one stand in a bright, pink room filled with disco balls and be surrounded by hats with bunny ears and oversized sunglasses, all while being served a swirl of ice cream and tropical fruit or nonfat yogurt and pecans made with a ‘magic mixer machine’?
No where else on the island, boasted David Baker owner of Pink’s Creamery in an interview on Wednesday.
“We tried to fill a need; somewhere for kids and adults to go to have a treat and have fun,” Baker said when asked how he and co-owner Mark Goodman created such an exclusive atmosphere for the island.
“We have a lot of things you may not see other places,” he added, indicating all the “goofy items” and knick-knacks for sale in their store which could make any adult feel like a kid again.
What’s more, just a few steps away, Kaua‘i Nut Roasters provides another incomparable product which has already boosted business about five times since the shop opened in March, according to owners Christine Bayley-Wortley and Sean Moore.
When asked what makes their business boom, Bayley-Wortley and Moore agreed that “having a good product” is necessary.
“People want quality and having the right price points is also key because people don’t have as much disposable income as they used to and even if they do, I don’t think they want to spend it as freely as before,” Bayley-Wortley said on Wednesday as the unmistakable scent of roasted nuts such as coconut crunch almonds and orange chai pecans wafted through the air of her quaint shop.
“The hardest thing right now is finding something that’s going to last and be successful,” she added. “With the economy and things the way that they are, it’s really a hit or miss. You have to be able to get something out there that people are willing to part with their money for.”
Many people might consider business owners like Baker and Bayley-Wortley to be a bit “nuts” for starting something now, however, neither one has had any regrets thus far.
“Go with your heart and don’t be fearful, take a calculated risk and have fun,” Baker said when asked what advice he might give to someone considering opening their own shop.
He admits that at the time his business was coming together, the economy had started to take a drastic turn, yet “it didn’t hinder us,” he said.
Having a positive attitude and catering to everyone including residents, visitors, kids and adults is also crucial to an enterprise’s success, he added.
When asked what made her courageous enough to open a shop after running a wholesale business for four years on the island, Bayley-Wortley said her real motivation was providing for her family.
“I thought we needed to do something else, because what if our wholesale slows down, what are we going to do?” she said. “We still need to make ‘X’ amount of dollars to cover our overhead for our family to live, so I thought the shop could be a good way to keep things going and to reach more people and I’m so glad that we did.”
Neither Baker nor Bayley-Wortley are concerned about the direction their businesses will take them and perhaps it is their confidence which helps them soar at a time when so many are feeling a sense of dread.
“Since this is Hawai‘i, we’re in a special, somewhat protected geographical location,” Bayley-Wortley said. “People will still be coming here.”
She mentioned that she has recently seen a surge in International visitors, including individuals from Canada, Germany and Japan.
“I think that there will still be people here no matter what, they may just not be Americans and that’s something to think about too for entrepreneurs, is look at your market,” she added.
Sharing a common bond as new business owners, Baker, Goodman, Bayley-Wortley and Moore have all become fast friends. The assumption that both businesses would be in competition with one another is entirely inaccurate and, according to Bayley-Wortley, it is quite the opposite.
Customers are often driven to check out both shops for two entirely different tasty treats and Bayley-Wortley said having Pink’s Creamery right next door has actually boosted her business.
Customers enjoy an ice cream treat or smoothie next door and will stop by to take home some lavender walnuts or orange honey green tea almonds for later, she said.
“Hanalei is a really great location, we’re super blessed and lucky to be in this spot,” she added.
For more information on Kaua‘i Nut Roasters call 826-7415 or visit www.kauainutroasters.com. For more information on Pink’s Creamery call 826-1257.
• Coco Zickos, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com
