Maui Business

Flip Flop Shops, a relaxation and resort footwear retailer for “flip flops,” casual shoes and beach accessories debuts at The Shops at Wailea.

Hale Kipa, a nonprofit organization serving at-risk youth and their families, announced the appointment of Venus Kauʻiokawēkiu Rosete-Medeiros as CEO.

Local restaurant owners said they’re bracing for yet another financial hit to their already struggling small businesses as Maui County’s new booster mandate rolled out Monday. High-risk businesses — restaurants, bars and gyms — must now require proof of boosters from eligible patrons seeking indoor dining or exercising in a revision to the county’s emergency health rules called a “vaccine update.”

In his address, Gov. Ige announced that given recent revenue projections, he is asking the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to return some of those dollars to taxpayers. “We want to issue refund checks of $100 for every taxpayer and for each of their dependents. For a family of four, that would mean an extra $400. In this way, we’ll also inject $110 million back into our economy,” said Gov. Ige.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi awarded grants totaling $225,000 to support three front-line community organizations serving people experiencing homelessness, including a $75,000 grant to Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers on Maui.

To support growth and the expansion of its statewide fiber network, Hawaiian Telcom has promoted three company veterans: Ryan Miyamoto to Director of Product, Pricing & Bid Management; Jason Thune to Executive Director of Fiber Strategy & Deployment; and Filifotu Vaai to Executive Director of Consumer Product & Sales. 

Applications are now being accepted for the Bayer Hawaiʻi Science Education Fund. This Bayer Fund grant program is open to public schools serving students at the intermediate, high school and college grade levels on the islands of Oʻahu, Maui and Molokaʻi.

More than 600,000 Americans die from heart disease every year, and Minit Medical is offering resources to help.

The Airports Division of the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation has sold new airports system revenue bonds to fund approximately $230 million of essential projects to modernize and expand air service facilities across the state. 

Maui, Hawaʻi is ranked the #2, 2022 destination based on trip searches on Vrbo and #5 based on trip searches on Expedia. The rankings were released today in the Expedia Group’s 2022 Outlook report.