KAILUA-KONA — The mobile food industry in West Hawaii just got a little more stationary.
KAILUA-KONA — The mobile food industry in West Hawaii just got a little more stationary.
Food trucks and stands are transient by trade, but restrictive zoning laws in Hawaii rendering it illegal to set up camp on roadsides have made it difficult for these small businesses to establish themselves with customers.
The Hawaii County Department of Research and Development, in concert with the Department of Parks and Recreation, helped negate complications of locale for mobile food entrepreneurs by establishing Kona Street Eatz, a permanent space in the Old Airport Park where vendors can set up shop.
The venue was officially opened and blessed in a ceremony — which at least one vendor found too emotional to put into words — on Friday.
“It’s a challenge for us to find a location to park, and we (formerly) had to negotiate with private businesses in order to park on their property,” said Kay Revita, who co-owns and operates the Island Roots food truck with her husband Robert. “For us to have a place that is supported by the county where we can come and park is really a gift.”
Previously, a handful of food trucks and stands operated on a temporary basis out of a fenced-in lot adjacent to Big Island Honda on Kuakini Highway.
The benefits now for companies like Island Roots extend beyond a permanent, legal location in which they may conduct business.
Although the new site is only a few blocks down the road, the venue offers multiple advantages.
“The visibility and the access to recreational areas as well as people using the park helps,” said Elizabeth Dykstra of the county R&D department, who works in the business resource center there aiding new start-ups and aspiring entrepreneurs. “It is paved and right on the road.”
The former location was unpaved, harder to notice and offered less foot traffic than will the park.
Donn Mende, the Deputy Director of county R&D said the hope is the industry, which is fledgling on the Big Island but booming on Oahu and the mainland, will take hold and spread islandwide.
“Our hopes are it will gain in popularity,” he said. “Eventually, we hope vendors can organize an association of their own and self-market.”
The current setup allows space for seven vendors daily, who can utilize the property on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time rent Monday-Friday runs $400 per month, while part-time rent costs $100 per month for every day of the week a business plans to park in the lot.
As of now, four vendors have contracted to use the space: Cool Runnings, Island Roots, Just the Two of Us World Famous Chicken and Waffles, and Kohala Burger and Taco. Cool Runnings is the only full-time resident thus far.
Interested parties can access details of the application process via the R&D website. If space becomes an issue in the future, Dykstra said the department will simply expand the usage area.
“The county really invested time and energy, and it shows a commitment from the county to support small business,” Kay Revita said.
Orville Fisher, who operates Cool Runnings, was set to speak at the ceremony. But he was so touched by the creation of a permanent Kona Street Eatz location that the only way he could express his gratitude was by raising a fist in solemn appreciation.
Robert Revita gave voice to Fisher’s silent sentiment.
“It’s a big deal,” he said. “It’s a big help.”