HANAMAULU — Greg Askew of Ono Pops was ecstatic Tuesday while attending the Kauai Chamber of Commerce Hawaiian Airlines luncheon at the Courtyard by Marriott at Coconut Beach. “We got a visit from the Department of Health just before I
HANAMAULU — Greg Askew of Ono Pops was ecstatic Tuesday while attending the Kauai Chamber of Commerce Hawaiian Airlines luncheon at the Courtyard by Marriott at Coconut Beach.
“We got a visit from the Department of Health just before I left,” Askew said. “They gave us the certification for our new kitchen.”
The clearance marked the opening of the Ono Pops new kitchen and storage facilities in the Joaquina Building in Hanamaulu.
Candace Boxer, also of Ono Pops, was busy picking up vanilla beans from Neil Clendeninn of the Kauai Hospice Wednesday morning. That meant the facility was shut down while she tended to her duties.
“It has been more than 18 months since we started doing distribution and manufacturing of Ono Pops,” Boxer said. “We started manufacturing in Puhi, but closed down after the costs became too high.”
The facility was closed for about six months, with Boxer and Askew shipping fruits and other Kauai-grown ingredients to Oahu for making the fruit bars.
The new facility has a combined capacity of more than 1,000 square feet between a storage area and the certified kitchen.
“This is a lot of storage space,” Boxer said. “But we have the need to be able to accommodate all of the places where Ono Pops are available. The kitchen also gives us room to grow.”
Some of the exclusive Kauai products include the Passion-Guava-Orange flavor, Guava Tamarind and Guava Chiffon.
“We don’t sell any retail at our Hanamaulu facility,” Boxer said. “Instead, you might try the Filipino store in the back, or the waffle place next door. Greg and I still do the weekly Kauai Community Market on Saturdays at the Kauai Community College, the Friday Art Night in Hanapepe, the First Saturdays in Kapaa, and some of the other special events on the island.”
Among the growing list of outlets is the National Tropical Botanical Garden gift shop cafe.
“I have to run,” Boxer said. “I have to deliver Li Hing Powder — the real kind that we produce — to the Sweet Shop in Kilohana, and then visiting the farmers market for more product.”
