Hawaii has a lot of fantastic locally-owned and operated shops and vendors. It’s rare to go to a popular beach or park and not see several food trucks and souvenir vendors hawking their wares. But while it is fantastic to go about the islands supporting these smaller sellers, sometimes you need to get a lot of things at once. Sometimes, you need one place where you can get all the essentials and more. For those times, head on over to Haiku Marketplace on the island of Maui.
Haiku Marketplace is located at the Kokomo Road and Haiku Road intersection in the heart of Maui’s northern town of Haiku. Actually, it is probably more correct to say that the Haiku Marketplcace’s parking lot lies at that intersection as this is a massive parking lot that takes up a full block, with the building that is the marketplace to its south. Haiku Marketplace is technically a shopping center, but unlike most of Hawaii’s shopping centers that are open-air and stretched out, this shopping center exists as a patchwork of buildings under mostly one roof.
The Haiku Marketplace has such a unique look and make-up because of the main building’s unique history. The central buildings for this shopping center were first constructed in 1904 as part of the Haiku Cannery. The Haiku Cannery was once the largest pineapple canning facility on the entire island. But eventually, a competitor took its place and the Haiku Cannery closed down and was sold off to become the multi-faceted shopping center it is today. Several ancillary buildings were joined together with three interconnected roofs so that now, all of the businesses operating on the property exist in a singular large indoor space.
By multifaceted, we do mean multifaceted. You will find a lot of unique as well as traditional businesses here. Popular commercial locations include:
Haiku Market
Haiku Marketplace is the name used for the overall shopping center, but at its heart is also a business called the Haiku Market. The Haiku Market is the primary grocery store for this area. This is the place to go when you want to buy fresh produce, dry goods, meat, and other daily essentials.
Colleen’s at the Cannery
This American grill and kitchen takes its name from that earlier business that once stood here. This is a casual breakfast, lunch, and dinner place with wooden first-come-first-serve tables and a row of booths that are more often full than not. Colleen’s at the Cannery is a good place to go for a delicious burger or filling breakfast comprised primarily of locally-sourced ingredients.
Maui Kombucha
If you are vegan or vegetarian, then you might be hard-pressed to find a state with more options for food and drink than Hawaii. Here, there are all sorts of fantastic places to dine that feature plant-based items, and Maui Kombucha is an excellent example of this. This local cafe serves up fresh kombucha tees as well as massive smoothies and veggie-friendly dishes like a cashed cheese pizza and filling acai bowl.
Haiku Muay Thai
It isn’t just food commercial spaces that call the Haiku Marketplace home. You’ll also find unique businesses like Haiku Muay Thai where you can learn the art and principles of Muay Thai and Western Boxing fighting practices. You don’t even have to sign up for a membership or extended class schedule to take part. Simply ask about their drop-in rates to enjoy premier classes at a great price.
Insider Tips:
-You can’t find it on Google, but there is a laundromat within Haiku Marketplace. If you have a couple of loads that need to be done, this is a great shopping center to get that laundry done and finish up other errands, or simply enjoy meandering the inside shopping center.
-Don’t have your own vehicle to travel in? There is a bus stop right at the parking lot adjacent to the Haiku Marketplace building, making it a convenient place for those traveling carefree or who are otherwise staying on the island without their own private transportation.