What started in the 1940s initially as a simple pharmacy
by Sidney and Minnie Kosasa then rebranded in 1964 has expanded to more than 30
locations just in Waikiki alone. Yes, you guessed it. The ABC Store empire. You
literally can’t walk more than 1 block without seeing a corner ABC Store. The
story goes that on a trip to Miami, Sidney observed that tourists were
purchasing items mainly from convenience stores instead of the expensive resort
shops and envisioned a time when tourists would eventually flock to Waikiki. Of
course, once Hawaii attained statehood, that tourist invasion did occur and the
Kosasa’s were ready to sell them anything needed during their vacations in Waikiki.
Well, time moves on and Waikiki hasn’t expanded its
boundaries and it’s probably not possible anyway to add any more ABC Stores
within Waikiki so how does ABC Stores adapt? By moving on to the next letter of
course, “D”.
Dukes Lane Market
and Eatery
Sitting at the corner of Kuhio Avenue and Dukes Lane,
Dukes Lane Market and Eatery will be a multi-faceted food emporium including
Basalt, a 150 seat global cuisine restaurant, The Market, a retail outlet
selling gourmet foods, The Vault selling fine wines and liquor and it will also
include a fresh seafood raw bar, bakery, rotisserie and burger bar. Heading up
this gourmet extravaganza is local boy, Chef Kelly Degala. After attending the
University of Hawaii and obtaining a culinary degree from the Kapiolani
Community College, Chef Degala moved to Seattle but returned to the 50th
a decade later to work at the Waikiki Alana Hotel and Gordon Biersch Brewery
Restaurant before returning once again to Seattle as corporate executive chef
for Gordon Biersch then Antony’s Restaurants. Then in 2003 he moved to the Bay
Area as executive chef of Va de Vi Wine Bar and Bistro then executive
chef/partner at Pres a Vi Kitchen and Wine Bar (where I first sampled his
cuisine). In 2012, he made a 3rd move to Seattle for private catering and as
executive chef of the W Hotel. Finally, he was recruited back home in 2015 as
the corporate executive chef of the ABC Stores.
It was on this final move home that I met Chef Degala –
he stated at the time that he owed it to his spouse, Kirsti Mittag-Degala that
it was time to settle down and let her career and interests flourish after
multiple moves between the 50th, the Bay Area, Seattle and Canada
for his career. Since that initial dinner we shared at Hank’s Haute Dogs last
year, we discovered we only shared “two degrees of separation” as we had many
common acquaintances in the Bay Area including my own brother. However, I also
feel a kinship with the Kosasa clan as ABC Store founder Sidney Kosasa was
first and foremost a practicing pharmacist as well as his daughter Gloria.
The New Venture
Immediately upon entering Dukes Lane Market and Eatery,
you’ll face Chill and Island Gourmet Coffee which both open from 6am through
11:30pm for a vast selection of daily caffeinated (and decaffeinated) java
options along with chilled smoothies, bubble teas and gelato.
Directly across from Chill is the Bakery which along with
producing the breads used in the restaurant and the buns used at the burger bar
will be frying doughnuts at 6am, 7am and 8am. Obviously this frying approach
targets the local clientele as most tourists aren’t awake yet. They envision
waiting lines of office workers trying to secure their supply of fried goodies
to take back to the office not unlike the line that forms at that other “KK”
doughnut chain when the light starts flashing.
Just past the Bakery is the Spitfire Rotisserie and
Flatbread and Ono’s Burger Bar which both start lunch service at 10:30am.
Spitfire Rotisserie will provide Kona coffee rubbed rotisserie chicken,
Chinese-style roasted duck and various flatbread pizzas as well as the usual
plate lunch options with your choice of salads (traditional mac or green) and
rice (white, brown or garlic fried). The neighboring Ono’s Burger Bar will
create at least five different burgers including a vegetarian burger. What’s
piqued my interest is their burger topped with seared foie gras along with the
Butter Tots. Basically Chef Degala is creating his own version of “Robuchon
Potatoes” or mashed potatoes with a two to one ratio of potatoes to butter.
Perhaps I’ll just take a 2nd dose of my cholesterol medication after
sampling this…
On the opposing side of Ono’s Burger Bar sits Vault which
is the Dukes Lane fine wine and liquor store. They offer a lot of your
mid-priced California wines as well as high end selections such as Sassicaia
and Gaja (trophy Italian wines) as well as Shafer and Roy (trophy California
wines) along with an extensive bourbon and scotch selection. They also will
carry crafted artisanal beer and have a cigar humidor for those who partake in
tobacco but don’t inhale.
Connected to the Vault is the Market which currently
stocks fresh local produce and many grab-and-go items though Chef Degala
eventually will use the Market to create pre-boxed meals meant for up to four
diners that purchasers will finish creating in their own kitchens along the
lines of those home delivered meals advertised on TV.
Sitting in the center of Dukes Lane is the Bar with has a
great selection of bourbon, scotch, gin and vodka along with several local beer
selections on tap. We sampled several cocktails at their preview event and they
were all refreshing and delicious. However, the crowning glory sits at the back
of Dukes Lane, Basalt which will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Chef Degala
states that breakfast and lunch will offer your usual food choices but dinner
will be the showcase featuring local beef, venison and lamb as much as possible
along with a raw bar featuring various shellfish, fish, oysters and caviar
service.
If the mini plates served at the preview event were any
indication of what will be offered on the regular menu then diners will be in
for a treat. Truffled wagyu beef skewers, salt-and-pepper shrimp, grilled baby
white asparagus with prosciutto, lobster bisque, tofu spring rolls… they were
all delicious!
Basalt will be open for breakfast from 7 to 10:30am,
lunch from 11am to 3pm and dinner from 5 to 10:30pm and parking is fully
validated when you dine at Basalt. And yes, we plan on securing a reservation
in the next month.
One Stop Shopping
In all business settings, a rebranding of your product is
often required to prevent an economic stagnation. The entry of ABC Stores into
the upscale food setting probably was required as many businesses in Waikiki
have already made transformations starting with the redevelopment of the Royal
Hawaiian Center to the recent completion of the International Marketplace. Even
Ala Moana has continually rebranded itself now including luxury condominiums.
And I see Dukes Lane Market and Eatery also getting its share of clientele is
this new market economy whether it’s local patrons purchasing freshly fried
doughnuts early in the morning or grabbing lunch at midday or dining at Basalt
in the evening or upscale tourists from Asia seeking out that trophy bottle of
Cabernet Sauvignon or bourbon or your basic Waikiki tourist who simply wants a
burger and fries.
Dukes Lane Market and Eatery
Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Hotel
2255 Kuhio Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii, HI 96815
(808) 923-5678
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