KAPAA — Changes could be coming for Kauai’s Menehune Food Mart stores due to the recent sale of the chain. MFM Inc., the company that owns the four convenience stores, announced it is selling the chain to Aloha Petroleum. The
KAPAA — Changes could be coming for Kauai’s Menehune Food Mart stores due to the recent sale of the chain.
MFM Inc., the company that owns the four convenience stores, announced it is selling the chain to Aloha Petroleum. The sale includes two Subway restaurant franchises and two Shell gas stations, and is expected to close by year’s end.
“The decision to sell was a difficult one,” said Charles Kawakami, president and CEO of MFM Inc. “It is similar to the loss of a loved one.”
Richard Parry, president and CEO of Aloha Petroleum, said the sale included all of Kauai’s Menehune Food Mart stores, except for the Lawai location, which closed in May.
That location was set to be the site of a new 7-Eleven Hawaii, according to reports from the company in May. 7-Eleven officials didn’t return calls for a progress update before deadline.
Aloha Petroleum is working out the details of a plan for the remaining stores.
“Right now we’re not exactly sure what the markets are out there, but we want to try and service those markets,” Parry said. “We’re not suddenly going to decide to change everything, we’re going to see what we’re working with.”
Parmalee Dato, who has been working at the Kapaa Menehune Food Mart for five years, said she’s not worried about the future of the convenience store.
“Sometimes change is a good thing,” Dato said. “It brings in new things, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes you resist change, but it can be good.”
Dato said the store, situated just up the road from Kapaa High School, gets busy, especially in the morning.
“The whole community comes in here,” Dato said. “I know everyone that lives here because they all come in here.”
Keone Miyake is a local community member who was picking up a Peace Tea on Monday afternoon. He frequents the store at least a few times a week.
“It’s an awesome place for breakfast and for snacks and stuff after work,” Miyake said. “And my son, he goes to Kapaa High School, he’s in here all the time.”
Kelley Rasch, who was also shopping at the Kapaa Menehune Food Mart on Monday, stops by because it’s convenient.
“It’s really close to my house and it’s an easy place to stop when you’re headed home, or when you’re going out somewhere,” Rasch said.
The Menehune Food Marts, and the four other businesses that sold with it, are part of an empire that’s been in the works for 89 years. The first grocery store was opened in Waimea to serve the plantation community in 1926. Since then, the company has acquired multiple companies and properties on the island, including the Kauai Kookie operation. The company also created Big Save, which was sold in 2011 to Times Supermarket.
The Kawakami and Furugen families, who own MFM Inc., will continue with their other business ventures.
Aloha Petroleum also has deep roots in the state of Hawaii. It was founded in 1899 and is an independently owned, locally operated, petroleum marketer and convenience store operator. The company operates 90 Aloha and Shell branded gas stations and Aloha Island Mart convenience stores in Hawaii.
Aloha Petroleum employs around 450 people. Around 60 people will be added to that roster with their acquisition of the eight businesses on Kauai.
“We’re going to talk with all of the employees this week and describe our company, and see if they want to stay on board,” Parry said. “We’re always looking for good people and it’s important we meet them and see if it’s a good fit.”
When it comes to the products that line the shelves, Parry said the company is also looking for that perfect fit.
“We’ll play with it and see what our customers like and what they don’t,” Parry said. “There are some things sold in the Menehune Food Marts that we don’t carry in any of our other stores and vice versa, but that doesn’t mean that we’ll get rid of those.”
Parry said the idea would be to introduce small changes over time, naturally, with customer input.
A not-so-small change being considered is the rebranding of the Menehune Food Mart stores to include them in the company’s other line of convenience stores — Aloha Island Mart.
“The Menehune Food Mart brand has a value in that market, but we haven’t made a decision yet because we have the Aloha Island Mart brand on the island as well,” Parry said.
