LIHU‘E — Family-owned business HealthGo Market has exchanged one end of Rice Street for the other, moving from Nawiliwili to a new space across from the Lihu‘e Civic Center.
The Feb. 8 relocation has tripled the store’s size, transforming it from a small “grab-and-go” opposite Harbor Mall to a fully-fledged grocery store with a hot-food bar in the former Tiano’s restaurant building near the intersection of Kaumuali‘i and Kuhio highways.
“The most exciting thing is definitely the hot bar,” owner Jeremy Hillstrom told The Garden Island, while seated on his new location’s second-story lanai, where patrons can enjoy their meals.
“People are just ecstatic about it,” Hillstrom continued. “They’re really excited for another option in town to get their lunch.”
The hot-food bar, which offers a variety of vegan burgers and bowls, is currently open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.
Hillstrom and wife Keli Ranke hope to eventually keep the bar open through dinnertime and on weekends.
HealthGo’s new inventory, which is almost entirely organic and vegan, is getting positive feedback from Westside residents as well.
“They’re talking about how they can come here to get their groceries,” Hillstrom said.
The market has retained its grab-and-go coolers, stocked with premade meals, beverages and produce harvested from local farms including Hillstrom and Ranke’s own True Leaf Farms in Moloa‘a.
“Being able to support local farmers on the island is huge,” said Ranke. “We’re not shipping stuff in that takes two weeks to get here. We just harvested it yesterday and it’s going in the wraps right now.”
Hillstrom and Ranke’s farm-to-table ethos isn’t just about fresh food. It’s also about sustainability.
“Personally, I think it’s the most effective way to help the planet be more sustainable — use less fossil fuels transporting,” Hillstrom said.
He gestured to HealthGo Market’s house-made kombucha and pizza dough to illustrate his point.
Neither product had to be packed in a refrigerated shipping container and sent across the Pacific to appear on the market’s shelves.
”Which is something I’m pretty passionate about, all those little things,” Hillstrom said.
HealthGo Market is located at 4479 Rice St. in Lihu‘e, open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
