Lahaina Recovery Update:
Open Businesses
& How to Support Local

Just beyond the fruit stand, there’s also a small collection of food trucks where you can grab coffee and something to eat. It’s casual, friendly, and exactly the kind of place that’s easy to miss if you’re focused on getting straight to your hotel.

Grab something for the road and then continue north toward Lahaina, where you’ll start seeing even more signs of rebuilding and new activity.

Mala Ocean Tavern remains a West Maui favorite, serving brunch, lunch, and dinner right on the water. Nearby, Honu Oceanside has also reopened in this part of Lahaina, bringing back its oceanfront setting and menu of seafood, pizzas, salads, and local ingredients.

Star Noodle has a new home here as well, in the former Frida’s Mexican Beach House location. Known for its noodles and shareable Asian-inspired dishes, Star Noodle has long been one of those places visitors hear about before they even arrive on Maui.

Aloha Mixed Plate is also open nearby, serving local-style favorites in a casual oceanfront setting. This is a particularly good stop if you want to try the kind of plate lunch that reflects the mix of cultures and flavors found throughout Hawaii.

One newer addition is Coco Deck Kitchen + Bar, located across from Mala Ocean Tavern. With indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar, TVs, and a lively atmosphere, it adds another option for grabbing food or meeting up for drinks in this growing restaurant area.

The Old Lahaina Luau is also right here and continues to offer its traditional Hawaiian luau experience. Together, these businesses have made this stretch of Lahaina one of the easiest places to see how much local activity has returned, plus a great zone to get hungry.

The Lahaina Banyan Tree is one of the most recognizable sights that remains. It’s beautifully green again and continues to grow, although access around it is limited. Lahaina Harbor is also active again, with boats returning to the water. Some properties along Front Street are rebuilding while others remain vacant, so the area continues to change as Lahaina moves through the recovery process.

It’s worth driving through Lahaina while you’re in West Maui. You’ll get a much better sense of the progress being made and also see that there is far more happening here than you might realize from news coverage alone.

Beyond Front Street, restaurants are busy, shopping centers are active, local food trucks have become destinations in their own right, and both established and new businesses are welcoming customers. Some longtime Lahaina favorites have also reopened in different locations around West Maui and elsewhere on the island.

The best way visitors can help is also one of the easiest. Just get out and enjoy the area. Stop somewhere local for breakfast or lunch, try a food truck, browse the shops, book an activity, check out a farm tour, and explore beyond the resort. West Maui is still an incredible place to spend a day, and supporting its local businesses helps keep the recovery moving forward.

You’ll find familiar stops like Safeway, Longs Drugs, Starbucks, Jersey Mike’s, Crazy Shirts, and Bank of Hawaii, along with businesses such as Boss Frog’s, West Maui Sports, and Village Galleries.

For something local to eat, check out Kalei’s. What began as Kalei’s Lunchbox, a Maui food truck, has grown into multiple locations, with a menu full of local-style comfort food and plate lunches. It’s an easy place to stop if you want something casual and filling while exploring Lahaina.

Food trucks are also in the area, including Sergio’s, a local Mexican favorite. Sergio’s has continued to expand its West Maui presence, and you can also find them farther north in Honokowai near Times Supermarket.

Before you go, take a look at the Lahaina Cannery Mall event calendar. The center regularly hosts live music, hula lessons, and other community activities, so depending on when you visit, there may be something happening while you’re there. Even if you’re stopping for groceries, lunch, or a few things for the beach, spending a little extra time here is an easy way to support businesses operating in Lahaina.

You’ll also find plenty of places to grab something to eat. Kihei Caffe has a Lahaina location serving its popular breakfasts and lunches, while Teddy’s Bigger Burgers and Noodle Bar offer more casual options. Maui Bubble Tea is another fun stop for something cold after a morning at the beach.

You’ll also find Ross, Ace Hardware, Walgreens, Starbucks, Panda Express, Burger King, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Spectrum, T-Mobile, and several banks and professional services. Local businesses include Auntie Snorkel, Mahina, Blue Hawaii Spa, David’s Happy Nails, and other small shops and services throughout the center.

Lahaina Gateway is also home to Maui Powerhouse Gym, medical offices, county services, the Lahaina DMV, and recovery-related offices. It may not be the part of Lahaina visitors traditionally came to see, but today it’s a busy part of everyday life in town.

If you’re staying in Kaʻanapali or elsewhere in West Maui, it’s an easy stop on the way to or from Lahaina. Choosing a local restaurant or business while you’re here is another easy way to put your vacation dollars directly back into the community.

Around Honokowai, the food truck park just north of Honua Kai is an easy place to sample a few different things in one stop. Depending on the day, you can find Mexican food, Thai dishes, sushi, Hawaiian-style shrimp, barbecue and prime rib, loaded fries, coffee, sweets, and more. Local trucks here include El Taco Borracho, Lahaina Grindz, Vita Coffee, Cielito Lindo, Aloha Sweets, Hooked, and several others.

Don’t overlook the smaller trucks tucked into other parts of West Maui either. 808 Grindz operates behind Foodland Farms on Keawe Street and is especially good for breakfast and local plate lunches. Baya Bowls serves fresh juices and açai bowls from its truck near D.T. Fleming Beach Park, while Penne Pasta is another local find near the Napili Farmers Market.

Food trucks are also a great way to experience the mix of cultures that has shaped Hawaii’s food. You can have a local-style breakfast in the morning, grab tacos for lunch, and end up eating Thai food, fresh fish, or barbecue later that day.

They’re casual, easy to work into a beach day, and often some of the most memorable meals you’ll have on Maui. If you see a food truck park while exploring West Maui, pull in and take a look. You may find a new favorite.

Kahana Gateway is an easy place to start. Longtime favorites here include Java Jazz, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Snorkel Bob’s, Slappy Cakes, and several locally owned shops and services. Slappy Cakes is especially fun for families, with griddles built right into the tables so you can cook your own pancakes.

Honokowai also has a growing restaurant scene. Sergio’s Cantina serves Mexican food near Times Supermarket and is a popular stop for Taco Tuesday. Pizza Paradiso at Honokowai Marketplace is still serving pizza by day, and at night its Pineapple Robot bar takes over with drinks and karaoke.

This part of West Maui is also convenient for picking up groceries, beach supplies, snorkel gear, coffee, or an easy meal before heading farther north toward Napili and Kapalua.

It’s worth exploring these neighborhood centers rather than just driving through them. Many of the businesses are locally owned, the atmosphere is casual, and you’ll often meet friendly locals and find places that become part of your Maui routine by the end of your trip.

Cool Cat Cafe is one example. The longtime Front Street burger spot has relocated to Kihei, where you can still order its burgers, shakes, and other familiar favorites. Captain Jack’s, another former Lahaina restaurant, has also found a new home in Kahana, and it’s still on our loco moco list.

Other businesses have moved to different parts of West Maui, while some have started over in Kihei, Paia, and elsewhere on the island. In a few cases, businesses have reopened under a slightly different concept or joined forces with other local operators.

If you love a particular Lahaina business, look them up while planning your trip. Following their social media pages is often the easiest way to find their latest location, hours, pop-ups, or other updates. Making the effort to visit an old favorite in its new home is another simple way to support the people who have worked hard to keep these Maui businesses going.